Two of a Kind
by AnsemD
Summary: Seven mammals from different places of this world and with different backgrounds will meet in the city of Zootopia. All of them brought together by fate and some of them even connected through a shared past that bounds them without their knowing over centuries. Judy's and Nick's encounter and the Nighthowler case was just the start to a story that will shake the world to its core.
1. Decision

A/N: Dear reader, please be aware that all chapters still in a reworking process. If you find serious mistakes in one of the chapters, then please be assured that those grammar and spelling errors will soon be fixed. But I hope you will enjoy reading my work despite those mistakes. Reviews are always welcome.

 **ARC I - Something Begins**

 _"We make our decisions, and then our decisions turn around and make us." - F.W. Boreham_

* * *

 **Nick**

* * *

The evening of a normal Sunday at the end of August was drawing near and the sun was slowly setting to the horizon. Still, a way to go. However, such things were right now not interesting for the odd couple, which was sitting on a table for two, enjoying their favorite drinks and the presence of each other.

The Burned Bean was one of those new and fancy coffee shops, that now opened everywhere around town and which stood on top of a little hill in the Zootopia Central Park. It was at the moment best and hottest place if you wanted to enjoy a good cup of coffee. It was also the choice of Nick and why should Judy disagree to something like this? As soon as she heard the idea, the gray doe was head over heels for the idea of the fox. Not every of his ideas for their time together was great, but Nick got slowly the hang of it. Nick even made a list with things she liked which were not exactly her taste. Right now, they sat together in a coffee shop, just the two of them, on the last table of the terrace and drinking, talking and having fun. Still, there was one topic that needed to be cleared from Judy's mind, before she could be happy for the rest of the day and Nick knew that.

"So, what do you want to do now Nick? Do you want to join me on the streets as my partner or not,"Judy asked with a big smile on her face. Both of her ears pointed at Nick with high anticipation. Nick knew what she wanted to hear but his gaze went from her small coffee cup, up to the adorable doe. For a moment he just tried to burn this image of her in his mind.

Like so often in the last two month, she was wearing her blue dress with the floral pattern on the edge of her skirt. On her right ear was a fur clip in form of a purple ribbon. Judy was watching very closely what Nick was doing. Her eyes didn't closed, not even for a second. He knew what she wanted to hear from him. And he knew, that the waiting was driving her crazy but like so often, he had no interest in stopping this game. He loved every second with her, so why should he end it this little game so soon?

With a smirk on his muzzle and a look that she almost knew too well, after the short period of their friendship, Nick raised his right paw to his chin and played the old "well-let-me-think" game. The teasing made Judy very eager to hear his answer. By now, she was standing on the edge of her chair. Her mouth was slightly open and revealed her pure white front teeth with a smile.

But Nick loved to see her going crazy over a question, she had asked him a felt eternity ago but which was shortly before her first TV speech and to which he had never given her a clear answer. At least until today.

Nick made a secret out of his decision but in reality he was long registered for the ZPD Academy. He was ready to end his old life and to begin a new one. No more hustling, no more tricks, no more living on the line between right and wrong or at least he hoped so. Well, maybe there would be the possibility to bend the laws of Zootopia from time to time a bit.

Nick smiled bright over his face and said," Carrots, you know that I'm a well-known business mammal on the streets of Zootopia. What would my customers say, if I disappeared just like that?" The fox flicked with his fingers to point out his importance and grinned.

"Mmhmh, yes business mammal... I think someone else can sell those pawpsickles." said Judy with a giggle and rolled her eyes. Smiling she continued, "And Nick, this is just a crazy idea from a countryside bunny, but maybe the ice-cream mammal could sell those. What do you think, Slick?"

This time it was Nick's turn to roll his eyes, "Okay, you got me. Maybe those guys could do the job." He took another quick sip form his black tea and heard how the short claws of Judy clacked rhythmic on the table.

"Okay, so you dodge my question again? Fine, I can also do other things to get my information. You know, I learned something about interrogation techniques in the Academy," Judy said and put on her cutest puppy face. Not very creative, but it worked. Nick melted internally but tried not to show too much of it.

„Oh no, Carrots, not this again and by the way, what is that for an interrogation technique? Whom do you want to make talk with that? Desperate bucks in their twenties to forties?,"Nick said and chuckled over his own joke. Judy kept looking at him with her puppy face and he decided to change his plans. He prepared himself for a little play. Putting one paw to his head, he did as if Judy would use a telepathy mind control on him," Oh no...bunny...tries to...break...my…mind. Must...resist...her...cuteness."

Her adorable face died in an instant when she heard the word, that always triggered a reaction from her. Two puffed up cheeks and two dangerous half closed eyes showed Nick that he had gone too far. The fox remembered that Judy had once arrested a hedgehog, who constantly called her cute during work her lunch break, they both spend together. Truth to be told, she looked especially cute on this day, mostly because of her complete meter-maid-dress but Nick asked himself from time to time, how far he could play this game before she would arrest him. However that would not happen, at least he hoped so.

"Nick! You used the c-word again. In public and without permission! How many times I have to explain this to you,"Judy said and pressed her little arms into her sides, to look even more intimidating. Something, that not really worked, because of...well, just imagine a bunny in a blue dress, with some stitched flowers on it, together with a purple fur clip on her right ear that looked like a ribbon. The problem should be clear and Nick wanted to play his game further.

"Oh, so there is a way to get the permission to use this? What do I have to do, Whiskers? Two weeks straight carrot diet? Or do I also need to become good at multiplying?"Nick said with a smirk. He wiggled his eyebrows and waited for the predicted reaction. And there it started, the fur around Judy's muzzle slowly turned from a pure white, into a rose like color. Her ears seemed to lighten up.

Of course she wanted to play it down. She sat back; and took a sip from her carrot cappuccino with extra vanilla flavor, looked to her left and remained silent for a moment. She pretended to watch some mammals playing football between some trees in the park, not far from the place they both sat.

"Jerk," Judy replied without looking back to Nick. She still gazed at the playing mammals and tried to avoid Nick's look.

"Oh come on, Carrots. You know you love me…," Nick said and for him it was a slip of the tongue, an imprudent sentence and maybe even more a wish than a real statement. But this was the moment, when Nick internally facepalmed himself and prayed that she would not stood up and run back to her tiny apartment with the two noisy neighbors. No, to his surprise, she was even smiling at him.

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do," the gray bunny replied and smiled back at the fox – teasingly of course.

Nick exhaled deeply as he recognized, that Judy didn't take him seriously. She had learned quickly in the short time of their friendship, maybe even too quickly, how to handle Nick.

A look on his phone showed him that they were now nearly two hours in this little coffee shop, Nick was always fascinated how fast the time passed when they were together. He could swear that it had been until now not more than five minutes, that they had spent together.

"Nick, you are trying to dodge it again. Please, I just want an answer to my question..." Judy begged.

Her voice changed a little bit, she almost sounded sad and the least thing Nick wanted to have was a sad bunny _._ There was it again, this little sting in his heart which made him weak, really weak. No request, and it didn't mattered how big or small it was, Nick could turn down when it came from Judy.

For him there was no real question, if he would join her and work with her in the ZPD. She could be a garbage collector and Nick would say yes, without a second thought to her proposal. What should he regret?

Leaving his old life? As if anything would make him happier than leaving that piece of dirt behind.

Having a dangerous work as a police officer? Well, his life until now was not exactly free from danger and when he thought about those dangers, he realized that all greater ones were initiated by a mammal with long ears. It was either Judy or a grumpy hare with the name Jack.

What he was probably doing right now? Nick didn't know and the longer Nick thought about him, the less he wanted to know what he was doing at the moment. Damn, Jack still owed him a lot of money and an apology. You don't let a friend almost drown in the Canal District and don't look for him afterwards

'Stupid hare.' Nick thought but somehow he missed him. If he remembered correctly was Jack always a good target for jokes. One day he had to tell Judy about all of this. Hopefully, this day wouldn't come so fast.

What else should he be afraid of? Surviving the academy? Nick had overcome worse things than that but he also had the slight feeling, that hard times lay ahead.

To overcome the academy would be no problem for Nick but being apart from Judy for six months? This was unthinkable for the fox. Three weeks ago, she was just for a short vacation back in Bunny Burrow. Judy had wanted him to join her, she had said that there were more than enough free rooms in the burrow of her parents but Nick didn't felt comfortable enough to meet over 250 bunnies and he was the only fox. He also thought, that they didn't know each other well enough for something like this. A fact that had changed dramatically in the last weeks, but back then he had the same problem of missing her and he had the feeling that by now, it just got worse. Besides his discomfort on meeting dozens of bunnies, he had needed the time to submit his police academy application and of course to say goodbye to his old hustler life.

It was nothing big, just some small tricks on some innocent mammals, maybe a card trick or sell some good old pawpsickles with Finnick. But all the fox could do was sitting on a bench in this park, looking for possible mammals and...nothing. He couldn't do it. Every time he had made a decision and picked someone, his mind had gone blank and all he could think of was Judy in the gondola after the attack of Mr. Munchas, how she had laid her paw on his arm and said, 'Nick you are so much more than this.'

One sentence spoken by her sweet little voice and he was fallen, maybe that had been the moment he saw more in her, than just a bunny with high ambitions and unreachable dreams. And it had been the first time that someone besides Nick's mother and sister believed in him. She was somehow he didn't want to disappoint, somehow she had become important to him and somehow he had started to like her, maybe even more.

All of that had happened, despite the fact that they were the complete opposite sides of the same coin. A bunny cop and a fox hustler. Maybe it was their differences, which let them work so well together. Maybe it was something else that made it feel as if they knew each other for ages. As if they had met before in another life before, but that was nonsense for the fox.

But he knew one thing for sure, he needed her in the academy. In his thoughts, he wouldn't survive six months without Judy. So, Nick needed a solution and he needed it fast. However he had to be careful; she was smart, very smart.

"Judy." Nick said.

And there it was, all the tension and her anticipation was back but to Nick's relief appeared a smile on her face. She knew that it meant serious business when he called her by her first name. Nick smiled soothingly to Judy, this time without sarcasm or any second thoughts.

"You know that we spent almost every day in the last two month together, right?"

"Yeah, that...should be about right," Judy said and she looked now a little bit afraid, probably because of the sudden change in Nick's behavior.

"Do you really think, I would just leave you? I mean, we spend eight great weeks together and then just poof and I disappear? Nah, whiskers. That's not my style. Of course I will join you on the streets," Nick replied with a soothing smile.

Nevertheless, at this moment many things went through the head of Judy Hopps at the same time, so that she couldn't hear what Nick had said. All she could do was bring on her worries,"I hoped so too...but look...there is just one more week, till the next academy period starts..."

"Judy…"

"...and you didn't tell me how you decided..."

"Judy…"

"...and we need to register you and pack your things and…"

"Judy…"

"I wanted to instruct you and and…,"

Judy had one paw on her head and the other clenched to a fist, which was lying on the table. Nick carefully laid his paw on Judy's. The bunny slowly relaxed her fist and looked up into Nick's eyes.

"Relax whiskers. It's all done," the fox said with a soothing smile.

"You...did? I mean when? But...but we spent every day together in the last weeks? I mean besides the time in those annoying interviews, when have you done it?" Judy asked with a slightly open muzzle.

"The two days in which you made a visit at Bunny Burrow, I went to the ZPD in Savannah Central to deliver my application. There was this guy, I think Clawhauser was his name? He seems to know about me, joining the force. We talked and he wanted to know some things about y-."

Nick couldn't even finish his sentence; Judy jumped over the table and hugged him tight with her little arms around him and her head on his chest. His nose was now right between her ears and for the first time he could smell her sweet scent very clearly. Deep down in the ancient parts of Nick's brain, Judy should be prey for him. But the smell he had now in his nose was sweeter and better than that of any vixen he ever knew. It was almost as if he knew the smell. It seemed so familiar, he could put it.

Carefully Nick stroked over her ears, while she kept pressing herself onto him. She was light, warm and the only thing that filled Nick's mind in this moment.

Almost whispering, she spoke to him," Thank you Nick, that was what I wanted to hear."

He could almost hear her smile.

With his muzzle between her ears, which he softly stroke back when he quietly hear her breath, he knew that she inhaled his scent as much as he inhaled hers. She was sitting on his lap and if Nick could decide, she could stay forever, he had nothing against it.

Quietly, he spoke into her ears," Well carrots, as much as I enjoy you sitting on top of me, I must say our neighbors are not so delighted about our current… let's say show."

With widened eyes, Judy jumped back on the table and looked over to the other mammals. All of them looked with concern and some even with disgust over to the fox and the bunny. She held her paws up and tried to explain the situation with cliche sentences, directly out of every second Dollywood movie.

"W-wait, it is not what you think. We are just friends, okay? Ehm," Judy exclaimed loud and sat fast down, after the last mammal looked now back on their own table. Nick sat just there with his head leaned on his paw, smiling like someone freshly in love.

Judy needed some moments to collect her memories and just continued to talk about the last information, she still had in mind, "Wait, you said you talked to Clawhauser? About me?"

"Yeah, you know the two of us talked about the standard things, like which of the boys in the department you like most, your favorite Gazelle songs and so on. You know, typical boy chit chat."

"What? Nick?!" the bunny protested with a smile on her face. Nick saw that the mammals around them still glanced from time to time over to Judy. And he knew what they were thinking. Is that really Judy Hopps? Is she still spending her time with the fox? Are they maybe even closer than the media told them? He didn't liked those thoughts from them, all of that was none of their business.

Judy looked around her as if she was searching for something but Nick knew, she was looking for the same reason he was, other mammals. It was only because of her new celebrity status, which was something she hated and...well, let's say liked at the same time. She was now a symbol of hope, trust and safety for everyone in this city. The whole city had high expectations of her now and about what she would do in the future. The fear to fail was a heavy burden on the little shoulders of Judy and sometimes Nick hoped he could take some of them on himself but he didn't knew how.

Despite all of that, Nick never saw her waver. Because that was not how Judy Hopps worked. If she had made a decision once, then she would follow her way, comes hell or high water; giving up would never be an option for her.

Privacy was another thing that the little gray doe could only dream of in her life. She had to watch every step she took and needed to look out for every meeting and where and with whom it took place, here in Zootopia. This was one of the reason why Judy loved her time with Nick, because he didn't mind if there was a paparazzi or a fan who wanted an autograph. Often they were shocked when they saw them together, it seemed like a lot of mammals didn't understand that there was really a friendship that bonded them together. Most mammals thought that this whole fox and bunny friendship thing was just some PR stunt for the public.

"Don't worry. I just told them good things. You know me, Carrots," Nick responded with a smile.

"That's why I'm worried! You have to know he is a huge chatterbox but also the heart and soul of the Precinct One. And you have no idea how worried I was! The last 2 weeks, I've been asking myself again and again if you really want to team up with me and become my partner. I also had the fear, that you would go back to your old life and continue to do the things you had done before. And one day I'd had no other option than to arrest you!" Judy and exhaled deeply. This thoughts seemed to gave her some sleepless nights.

"For you, Carrots, I would always do that and you should know that by now!" Nick said with a little bit of hurt pride in his voice.

"Maybe you are right," Judy replied and scratched her neck. She seemed to feel embarrassed about Nick's words, and all the worries she made herself in the last days.

Nick, however, was not finished and continued," Besides, you think way too much about all of this and one day you will break your sweet little head over something, that isn't worth the time and that maybe will never happen." Nick said and watched how she blushed again. For him, it was almost too easy to make her blush.

"I was also afraid you would start hustling again, "Judy said with a little giggle.

"Maybe a pawpsickle here and there for the sake of the good old times," Nick replied with a smirk and waited for Judy's reaction. He could saw her jaw slowly opening and her gaze turn to a slightly angry one, but he knew that it was nothing to serious. They played just their usual game, like always.

"You promised me to stop that!" Judy said in a high voice.

"It was a joke, Carrots. Geez. I mean I couldn't even find a meter maid to pay for my Jumbo Pop," Nick said with smile.

Her eyes slowly lost this deadly sparkle and a smile appeared just some seconds after his reply on her muzzle.

"Dumb fox." Judy said.

"Sly bunny. You know, as soon as I'm on the streets with you, I can show you all the dark and shady parts of this city. And trust me, there is more than enough for us to do as cops," Nick said with a grin, not knowing that one of the rare and serious things he said today, was taken lightly from her.

"Nick, come on. I'm a cop now. I know the dark sides of this city. You know, we had there a little case with a lot of missing mammals not too long ago." Judy said, her gaze was on her almost empty cup and the index finger of her right paw, slided in circles over the edge of it.

"Believe me, Whiskers, you ain't seen nothing yet. I mean, what do you see when you are looking at this?" the fox said and pointed with his right paw at the skyline of Zootopia, which laid directly behind them. Judy looked confused and didn't know if she should smile or be serious with him at the moment.

"Well I see skyscrapers, some other huge buildings, apartments,...Okay I'm not sure what your point is."

He made a last smirk and prepared to be serious and Nick hoped she would understand. Understanding in terms of taking him seriously, but he guessed she would not.

"It's a facade, nothing more. A big play to trick mammals; you could also call it a hustle, sweetheart. Nevertheless the inner core of this city is rotten. You saw it all by yourself. Bellwether would have sacrificed you without a second thought and even Lionheart put the savage mammals into the Cliffside Asylum to find a solution. What his solution would have been in the end, nobody knows. Both were ready to sacrifice mammals for their own good. Moreover, this Fluff, is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more mammals and organizations who will try to corrupt, hurt or kill you." The fox ended without a smile on his lips and watched her, as the words sank into her mind. He hoped that something of this reached her but he wasn't sure.

"When everything is so rotten, then maybe it is good that I, as a police officer, am here to tear it out and compost it? You can call me the new Zootopia crime gardener and, between the both of us. I think I know a thing or two about plants." Judy said and chuckled like a little child. Deeply exhaling thought Nick to himself, 'Come on Wilde, give her some last days of freedom in this city. It won't last forever.' And so he played along and smiled.

Judy ended her sentence with a wink to him and a big smile on her muzzle. However, Nick couldn't keep straight and started laughing about the image of Judy as a gardener. Satisfied with herself, she sat on her chair, which was at least two times too big for her, and grinning she took the last sip of her cappuccino.

Not long and Nick wiped away his tears of joy, but said, "Oh, Carrots, I tell you, one day you will die because of those optimism but don't worry, I will be there either to go with you or to save you. But one thing is for sure, you will not be alone."

"If you are be my side, then I have nothing to fear Nick." Judy said and looked happy over to him.

And Nick felt that all of her words were true and could be cut in stone. He felt a little blush on his face. Strange, thought Nick, till now he had known no one who really stood for the things which were said. However, she was different. No lies, no hesitation, just the truth. It was somewhat soothing that mammals like her still existed but on the other hand, it frightened Nick. Because Judy would be hurt if she went on like this. Mammals would want to use such an open mind and Nick hoped that he was ready to stand at her side and to protect her from those individuals. The town, the bad boys, everyone knew she would do great things in the future and Nick would be there, to support her as good as he could. Just when the fox thought he had heard every strange idea from her; she came along with a new one. But that one was really rattling at his core.

"Nick, wouldn't it be better if you made a clean cut with your past? I mean to inform everyone who is important to you about your decision? I...I mean, you don't have to, it is just a suggestion...nothing more," Judy said and kept her eyes on the empty cup, which she was playing with.

"I thought you knew it already," Nick replied with a smirk. His gaze still laid on her and there it was again, this little blushing from before. Embarrassed, but happy, Judy looked over to him.

"Nick that is… nice. But you know what I mean."

And there it began, the inner dialogue of a conversation, which was way too long in a break, 'A clean cut? I'm not sure if this will work with every one. Of course, some will be happy to see me again but others will hate me for what I want to do. However, she is right on a certain level, I can't just disappear for six months and then return as a police officer. This would be even crazier, than what I plan to do anyway. Maybe she is right? Maybe not? Can you really deny her that request? She just wants to help you...idiot.'

For the first time in their friendship, Nick's face was serious, not played seriously. Judy would see the difference. No, Nick was in deep thought and Judy knew it was her request, which had made him like that.

He tried to give her a smile but even that was not really the Nick she knew, still, he said, "I will think it through Carrots, okay?"

A relieved smile came from her face and Nick could hear how she exhaled deeply. The crazy thing was that Nick really thought about the whole clean-cut version and going on with his life. The old Nick would put it aside, made a half-assed promise and never thought about it again but this was before Judy. B.J., Nick's new time measurement, everything before that, was almost meaningless. He looked into her eyes and was sure that he would do it, as soon as he could. But now was time for the hustler, time to play and to have fun with her.

Nick changed suddenly the topic and tried to excite her for a new idea, "Come on Fluff, I like to have some fun and I can see the seasonal funfair from up here. And, don't ask why but I can feel that there is a bet, that I can win against you on the shooting galleries."

From the table they were sitting at, they both had a magnificent view over the Central Park with its many trees and of course the Ferris-wheel and other attractions which seemed to grow out of the green and which already lightened up and blinked in many different colors. A worthy aim for couples and mammals in love from all over Zootopia or for a fox who wanted to trick a little bunny.

"You know that I'm a cop, right?" Judy said

"Yes, and?"

"We have shooting training and I'm not so bad at this. So I decline."

"Oh, come on Fluff, you are just frightened that tonight you'll find your master, well at least when it is about sending little metal ducks to heaven," Nick replied and felt confident that he would win this little bet.

"No, not really. But I'm frightened that you will cry the whole night because you lost against a little bunny and a female of course." Judy shot back at the fox

The grin on her face couldn't be overseen by anyone. Nick paid for the hot drinks and walked with the little bunny at his side through the warm evening in Zootopia Central Park. Along a path that leads directly to the area of the funfair and Judy was not aware that Nick's aim was still the shooting gallery. Thinking to himself he declared, 'Okay Carrots, you are begging to be hustled. No problem. You tease the hustler, you will get the hustler.'

"I was thinking, Fluff, that we know each other for over almost two months now, but we don't know really something about the other so…" The fox began and the bunny became suspicious about his behavior,"...so, Mr. Wilde, you thought you could ask me out and I would tell you everything about me, so you'd have something to tease me with?"

She answered quickly with a devilishly smile on her face. Nick put up again his fake pride and laid a paw on his chest to answer.

"Miss Hopps, I'm hurt. How can you say something like that to an honest citizen of this town? It almost sounds, as if I want to blackmail you, with a carrot that is in truth a recording device. Tststs. Who would do something like this?"

Replied the fox with his eyes closed and waited for an answer. Nevertheless, she was just walking beside him, smiling up at Nick with her big purple eyes and her twitching nose. But Nick knew, she got the reference.

"Okay Slick, what is on your mind?" Judy said and rolled her eyes. Nick, however, began enthusiastically like a little kit to speak.

"A game of course! It is pretty easy, so listen. We will tell each other a surprising fact about our life. The one that is more overwhelmed by the fact of the other loses. But remember, I said surprising, so please not the fact that you wanted to become a police officer or that you like carrot cake, okay?"

"Okay sounds good, but not really like a game?" Judy said and crossed her arms in front of her chest. The doe looked confused up to Nick, but she could see that he had still something to tell her.

"Ahahah Whiskers, let me speak out," Nick said with a grin and her gaze told him that she knew that he was up to something.

"If you can't name a surprising fact about yourself a small wish is granted for a certain fox, okay? But like I said, the main point is, that your story is more interesting than mine."

"Wait and what is with me? I would say, the same rules for me right Nick," said Judy.

"Clever bunny."

"Sneaky fox"

"To clear your mind. If, but only if and I don't think that this will happen, a certain bunny can tell a surprising anecdote of her life but this handsome fox here can't, then little bunny girl, you are free to wish for something and I will fulfill it." Nick ended the explanation of the rules and folded his paws behind his back.

"Mmmh I don't know…" Judy replied and began to think about the idea. Both mammals walked side by side over a wooden bridge in the heart of the Zootopia Central park. Mammals, tall and even smaller than they are, crossed their way over the lake. Nick watched a group of ducks swimming underneath the bridge they just walked on and waited for a reply. He decided finally to take things into his own paws.

"Don't worry, Fluff, just say no. I'm not mad at you. We both know that you can't win this game. I mean remember, all the things I witnessed in the past and well… your time in Bunny Burrow," Nick said and kept walking with a devilish grin on his face. Nick got her and both knew it.

And there it was, she stopped walking and started to think about his words. Nick could almost hear her little head overheating. In her mind she was fighting a battle, she could only lose after all her honor was insulted. Nick still kept walking with his arms behind his back and waited for her sweet little voice to speak up.

"Okay, deal!"

Lightning fast, the red fox turned around and shook her paw. At first, she seemed a little bit scared about his fast turn but she regained her posture rather quickly. Both stood there for almost a minute shaking their paws and grinning at each other like two demons who formed a pact to rule over the world. Nick slowly drew his paw back and waited for her anecdote. Judy had now her paw on her chin and was back in her mind to come up with something and Nick hoped it was something good.

"I think, it is only fair if we would say ladies first, Carrots," Nick said, grinning down to Judy, both now back to walking and beside each other. Nick, with his sharp eyes, saw the shooting gallery in the middle of the funfair. The fox became slightly nervous but just on the inside, his outside representation was as calm as a lake in the morning. No wave distorted his surface.

A deep exhale came from Judy before she started to talk, "Okay, I never told this story to anyone, but when I was 8 years old, I joined together with some of my sisters the ballet school in Bunny Burrow…," Judy said. However, her gaze was no longer up to Nick. She looked down at her paws. She was constantly rubbing them as if she would wash them right now. Nick understood, the heroine of the city was embarrassed, but for Nick's taste not embarrassed enough.

"Mmh, I can't even imagine the little Judy Hopps in ballet cloth, dancing to swan lake...oh wait, I can," Nick chuckled about the image he had in his mind, he also thought it would look incredibly cute but he banned this one thought for the moment back into his mind. Judy's inner ears and nose went like so oft this day to a bright red color. Nick saw that she needed a little push, to continue with her story.

"So, I think that was a great story and I'm happy that you sha-."

"It's not over! I have to concentrate," Judy said a little bit angry. She closed her eyes, took her little fist to her mouth and coughed calmly.

"Okay, okay, keep going," Nick replied with his paws defending up in the air.

"So after two months of training with our ballet teacher, an old female Russian rabbit of the worst kind, we had a dance performance….and I was very nervous…"

"And?"

"And couldn't sleep too well…."

"Yes..."

"And during the performance I..."

She really tried and it seemed to be a very embarrassing memory.

"...puked on my sisters."

"What?!" Nick shouted, that was definitely something, even the red fox didn't saw that coming.

"...And another kid in the first row of the audience." Judy added quickly.

Nick was walking on her left side and she was looking straight to her right just because she couldn't face him. Nevertheless, it was just too good, Nick couldn't keep it together and burst out in laughter. Judy kept walking and holding her left arm with her right paw. Anybody could see that she was totally embarrassed.

"Carrot . . . I . . . oh god . . . I'm sorry. I'm truly glad that you shared this experience with me."

For some time the chuckling of the fox about the shared story was the only thing you could hear.

"So I think I won," replied Judy calmly with a winning smile on her face.

"Sorry Whiskers, I think I can top that."

And with this words out, she was back and ready to defend her points. Judy was sure that even he could not top her story. Or could he?

"What? How? This is the most embarrassing story I know about myself. And you are the first one I told it!"

"Whiskers, I'm honored that you shared this memory with me. However, we have to keep it fair. Now is my turn."

Nick chuckled and looked at her depressed face. And there it was again, the little sting in his chest. For now, he tried to ignore it.

"Come on, Whiskers, I will never ever tell anyone about this. So please don't be mad. Future police officer promise."

Nick gave her a little wink and hoped that this would make it a little bit better for her. Judy looked up to him with a little smile, but Nick made also an internal note to himself,' If I'm ever able to travel with her to Bunnyburrow, I have to ask her father if I could get a copy of that video about this performance… Just for... reasons. I mean every father does something like that, okay most of them, I think.'

"So Carrots, the first thing you have to know about me is that I'm a pretty good guitar player and singer. Oh, what am I saying, I'm great! Well, how did I achieve that, you want to know? I had a lot of free time because of my hustling and I needed a hobby."

Nick watched her out of the angles of his eyes and he could see her jaw-dropping like a mature apple from a tree.

"You...what? Nick, we said no lying!" Judy replied, and Nick could hear the disbelief in her voice.

"Oh sweetheart I don't lie, one day I will play a whole performance just for you and you will love it! I promise." Nick answered with a big grin on his muzzle and enjoyed her confused face.

"You know, you can land some pretty decent scams on mammals when you can play guitar and know some songs about love, tragedy and so on. However, forget about that, it is the past and no longer necessary. Well, let's say it's true for the scamming but the music, that is still a part of me."

Her confusion seemed to deepen but so did her interest in the story.

"Well, it was seven years ago that there was a city-wide competition about who was the best singer and I tell you I gave everything. Thousands of mammals were standing there to cheer you up. It was great. Unfortunately, some mobster had an eye on me during this time, so I couldn't take my place in this competition under my real name. So…"

She watched him, still in disbelieve but with a smile on her muzzle,"So you took another name for the competition? But why did you enter it?"

"Because of the only reason I had at that time: money and maybe a little bit of fame. The winner would gain the incredible sum of $ 100,000. Besides, Carrots, I was doing well. Very well. However, in the end, I couldn't win the final for myself. I became second behind a lion with the voice of an angel . . . or so they said. I would say he had the voice of a 14-year-old boy before he hit puberty. But I'm fine. And yeah, this was my little story . . ."

She still walked beside him with her mouth wide open. Nick raised his paw and closed her muzzle slowly. She looked confused for a moment but there was still a question, that Judy needed to ask him.

"Wait, what was your name in this competition?"

"I still think that is the best part of this story! You know the famous bunny guitarist Buck Berry? Yes, okay. Well, I named myself after his most famous song 'Johnny B. Good'. Because, what could possibly be farther away from the truth than that? Especially at that time."

However, now it was Judy's turn to laugh as if there was no tomorrow. She stood there in the middle of the path, mammals walking left and right around her and she was laughing and holding her stomach with tears in her eyes. For a short moment, Nick thought that she had difficulties with her breathing but it was all fine.

"So, what would you say about my little story, Carrot?"

"Blueberries and I mean complete blueberries. I think I won this one…"

Let us all remember that this little bunny is not able to curse. Nick tried to teach her over the time but the not cursing rule was just too deep into her little bunny mind.

Nick took out his phone and searched on Zootube for the video they recorded on that day. 2,5 million views until today, 'Too bad, 'thought Nick,' that no one will ever know who this amazing guy was.'

Grinning, he held the little screen directly under Judy's muzzle and watched as her jaw dropped again.

What did she saw? Well, Nick together with some friends performing some pretty famous rock songs, the audience was going mad over the performance.

"Sweet cheese and crackers! That's you! I mean not exactly you, but a younger version of yourself. It's oh my, holy carrot cake! You didn't lie to me. You really can play an instrument and sing..."

"Miss Hopps I'm deeply hurt!" Nick said with a fake expression, that seemed to work on Judy.

"I'm sorry Nick…"

"It's called a hustle sweetheart, so now stop being so uptight and wait for my wish. Or do you want to argue against the fact that I won?"

She knew that she had lost, but she seemed to acknowledge her defeat slowly. But she did. And it seemed that Judy decided, that it was on here now to play with the fox. For this, she held both of her paws in the air beside her ears and tried to sound mysterious.

"Okay Mr. Fox, this bunny is all yours; do with her as you please. No more uptight talk," Judy said in an alluring tone.

With these words, she crossed her stretched out paws in front of her chest and closed her eyes. She looked seducing with her head up to Nick, still with her eyes closed. However, he was not prepared for something like this, nor he was prepared for the prudish and uptight Judy, not the one with light makeup on her eyes and a seducing smile around her lips.

Makeup? Something he recognized just now, where were his eyes the whole time, how could such a detail slip through his attention? Nick tried to cover his insecurity by acting like the hustler he still was, but the moment Judy opened her eyes to him, he knew he had lost. He swallowed heavily and could just do what a schoolboy could do, who stared too long at his crush until she noticed it and turned his head away in embarrassment. Not prepared to be hustled by her, he took some time to collect his thoughts. Still, with a shaking voice, he continued his talk with Judy.

"O-okay little bunny, eyes closed and paws to the back."

"Mhm, Mr. Wilde, I didn't know you already learned the police talk or do you know such talk from somewhere else," Judy said still teasing the fox. Another heavy gulp of the fox and he was sure that Judy had heard it.

Nick's paw went to her back, from where he tried to guide her to his target. But somehow his gaze crept over and over again down on her back, over her sweet little tail, which wiggled from time to time and he did not know if she did this for him, down to her…

"Do you see something you like?" Judy asked with a smile and her eyes still closed.

"What?" Nick asked, shocked in the first moment.

"You breathe in my ear, which is not bad… but which means you look to the left. Do you saw an attraction on the funfair that you'd like to take a closer look at?" Judy asked in her heartwarming way and smiled.

Taking a last look over the bunnies back, the fox started to smile and said, "Oh yeah, there is one attraction, I would like to take a closer look at but maybe later…."

They stopped right in front of the shooting gallery and Nick got finally his confidence back, he softly laid his paws on her shoulders and said, "Okay, you can look now."

Judy opened her purple eyes and she scanned instantly the whole attraction in front of her. She put her paws on her hips and exhaled with a shaking head.

"Oh Nick, really? I don't want to take you out," Judy said with a little-disappointed smile on her face. For a moment both stood in front of the shooting gallery, hypnotized by the movement of the little ducks and the blinking of the colorful lights. All in all, it was one of those typical tents, in blue and red, with four rows of ducks, 4 or 5 meters behind the counter. Even a little staircase for smaller mammals had been installed so that they could enjoy some rounds of shooting or could win something for their loved ones. The ceiling of the tent was tightly filled with stuffed animals of all kinds but Nick had long seen the plush he wanted for Judy.

"Okay Carrots, new game. Since you are so confident about winning this, there should be no problem for you to start, right? Each of us gets 15 bullets, the one with more dead ducks on the score wins. How does this sound?"

"Good, but what does the winner get?" Judy asked.

"If you lose you have to visit me once a week in the academy," Nick said and saw how Judy's facial expression slowly changed into a neutral one.

"Oh...okay..."

"And you? What is your wish..."

"No idea, I will come up with something as soon as I know."

Something had changed; Nick knew it but couldn't lay his finger on it. It was as if the whole atmosphere had changed and he didn't like that, not one bit. Did he say something wrong? Had he been too forceful? Nick tried to ban those thoughts in the background of his mind.

He turned to the owner of the gallery, a maybe 40-year-old tiger, who seemed to know, nothing else than his life as a carny. The tiger had a scar over his left eye, wore jeans, a white shirt, a camouflage jacket and nothing else. Nick knew him, of course, he did, he knew everybody. His name was Carlos, a guy who liked two things more than everything else, drinking and fist fights. Especially fist fights were something which Nick liked to avoid. Especially after he remembered, where he left him the last time...or better in which company.

So, he did, what he always did best, put on his best hustler smile and played along.

"Okay, Sir we like to have two of your best guns with 15 bullets each."

"Aye Sir, that makes 10 $ together...say do we know each other...fox?"

"Good, Sir. I don't think, that we have met until now...wait maybe in the church?"

"No,...I don't know. Hell, doesn't matter…," the tiger replied and went some steps back. He leaned on a pole and rotated a toothpick from one side of his muzzle to the other but kept Nick in his gaze and seemed trying to remember who that fox was.

"Okay, Whiskers your turn," Nick said and pointed with his paws to the counter of the shooting gallery.

"Say...do I have to worry about you and the...tiger," Judy asked with a confused look on her face.

However, Nick, tried to avoid the subject," What? Him? Pffft, nothing to worry about him, Whiskers...but if you would be so nice...just, don't call me by my name here, okay?"

Nick handed the gun over to Judy; she took it quickly and after a couple of seconds, she started to shoot the little ducks. The first shots did not go well; she missed but could get accustomed to the gun in her paws. In the end, she still had a very impressive score of 11 out of 15 ducks, not bad. She was fast and precise but Nick knew he could top that. She handed him the gun without any expression.

"Here fox, impress me," Judy replied and stepped back.

A short exhale and Nick started.

*Klack*

*Klack*

*Klack*

*Klack*

*Klack*

First row, clear. 5 out of 15

Nick needed to top the first, he put on his smile and aimed for five ducks in a certain order, "Every second duck in the second row and you have to give me a kiss. What do you say, Judy?"

It was just a joke from Nick and he just thought that Judy would blush and remain silent but not this time. After she processed his teasing and got the control over her dropped jaw back, she began to smile and said," Fine but I decide where and when. Deal?"

"Deal," Nick replied with a dirty grin and began. Inhale, exhale.

*Klack* - stop - *Klack* - stop - *Klack* - stop - *Klack* - stop - *Klack*

Second row, clear. 10 out of 15

Judy's eyes begin to widen as she saw, that he didn't miss a single duck on his way and she knew what that meant. Nevertheless, she still kept on smiling. Nick, looked for a short moment to her and said, "You owe me, Whiskers."

Nick wanted to end this game quickly now.

*Klack* *Klack* *Klack* *Klack*

Third row, clear. 14 out of 15.

And the last one, this is the only one Nick didn't get every time. But he had the feeling that this time would be different. Inhale…, exhale…. and shoot... *Klack*!

Judy saw this turned abruptly around and left the gallery with crossed arms. Nick shook his head about the sore loser; he would soon follow but needed his price at first.

"Okay hotshot, you made it. Now, you have the freedom to choose anything you want. What should it be?" The Tiger asked, still leaning against his pole.

Nick's gaze wandered over the army of cuteness that hung over him, waiting for their new masters, just to rediscover the right thing he saw for her. A smile flashed over his face as soon as he the right plushie.

"Oh, I think I found it. Could you please give me the last item on the right side and could you please put it in a bag? That would be really nice of you."

"Are you sure? That is not even the biggest, cutest or fluffiest animal?"

"No, but it will be the perfect stuffed animal for a certain mammal," Nick replied chuckling.

"Here, hope she will like it."

"Oh, believe me, she will," Nick said but just then and just for a short moment seemed Nick's mind to skip a thought. Still caught in his daydream, about how he wanted to give the present to Judy, he said," Well, see you, Carlos."

Not even realizing his mistake, turned Nick around and walked away but the tiger took now an even closer look at the red fox.

"Wait a moment, I never told you my first...Nick? It's you isn't it?" Carlos asked confused about the sudden realization.

In shock, Nick stood still on his feet and thought for a way out of his current predicament. He also had to check why his mind always went blank as soon as he thought about Judy. Nick needed to find her, but at first, he had to solve his problem with the Tiger behind him.

"What? Ehm...No...I don't know anyone by that name…," Nick tried to explain, but Carlos was faster.

"It's you,...I can't believe it. Did you really think, I wouldn't recognize you, Wilde? Sometimes I need a little time...but you...just tried to ignore me."

His hands were up as if Judy took him in arrest. Slowly, Nick turned around and exhaled deeply. Still, a little bit frightened the fox began to talk," Fine Carlos, you got me. What do you want? Money? How much do I owe you?"

"What? Nothing or at least an apology, for trying to ignore me," Carlos said, now with a grin on his muzzle. His toothpick hung from his right side and he waited for an explanation from the fox.

"You...you are not mad at me, big boy?" Nick asked with confusion. The red fox was careful, he knew how fickle the Tiger could be.

"What? For ignoring me? Well, a little." Carlos replied.

"You still know, where we saw each other the last time, right?"

"Yeah, in the rain forest district, in the 'Blue Oyster Bar'. I'm a regular guest by now. Why don't you come over from time to time? Have some drinks, dance a bit, have fun you know?"

Nick slowly became suspicious about the situation and looked dazzled to his left and right, just to check if there weren't more mammals, which were maybe even waiting for him. He still didn't understand what was going on here. He walked the last steps back and was now directly standing at the counter of the gallery.

"You know this is a club for male mammals, right? And with that, I mean special male mammals?"

"Yes, and?"

"And, you like it there?"

"Yeah, great place."

"Aha, you're sure?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Nothing, all good and hey whatever floats your boat. So, sorry for my bad behavior from before and a good day to you Carlos; maybe we'll see each other again," Nick said and knocked two times on the counter of the shooting gallery. He left the confused Carlos in his tent and waved a last time over his back, Carlos leaned just back at the tent pile and shook his head.

Smiling to himself, he looked at the bag and tried to follow Judy's weak but sweet scent over the area of the funfair, which was not so easy in a place with popcorn, sugar-coated apples, cotton candy, and other delicious things. Nick was sure that his sister would love it here, the sugar-addicted vixen. A lot of mammals walked now over the area, couples, families, and groups of youngsters, all with the aim to have a good time here. He also passed a lot of booths, most of the containing some games, food and in one he even saw a fortune teller but all had one thing in common, they were good visited. After some minutes he could finally smell her sweet scent again, not strongly but enough for him to follow her over the yard. Not much longer and Nick found her standing beside a lantern, her ears up, like ever when she was curious about something. It was easy to tell that Judy was interested in the huge Ferris wheel in front of her but her ears dropped as soon she saw the huge crowd in front of it, waiting would take a long time...on the normal way but she forgot that she was here with Nick. He needed not even 3 seconds to understand what she wanted and stood himself behind her and said, "Hey Whiskers, do you want to take a ride on the Ferris wheel?"

"That would be great but...it's already late and tomorrow I have an early shift in the department...and the queue in front of it is just too long…and NICK...WHAT DO YOU-?! LET ME DOWN!" Judy shouted in Nick's ear, who just grabbed her by her waist and took her over his left shoulder. She was light and Nick grinned over the tantrum she threw at him. Her feet into the front and her head over Nick's back she tried to come free but it was no use, the fox held her tight, his paw just some inches over her tail on her back.

"NICK...LET ME DOWN! EVERYONE IS LOOKING," the bunny screamed with a completely red head. And what should Nick say? Yes, everyone was looking. However, who wouldn't, if you heard a little bunny screaming and it turned out that this little bunny was also the famous police officer from TV, who everybody knew and loved. And that the fox who held her captive, was also the one, with whom she solved the case. Nevertheless, why should anybody be worried? Everyone would see just two friends, having fun...or at least one of them had.

"Of course is everybody looking, Whiskers. I mean, you scream like crazy, on a funfair, where everybody tries to have fun . . . you know that's why it's called a 'fun' fair," Nick said smiling to Judy, walking through the aisle between the booths, in direction of the exit from the Ferris wheel.

Her protest kept coming but her voice was now quieter, almost whispering she said to Nick, "Please Nick, let me down. I think they can look under my dress…."

"Don't worry Carrots; do you really think I would let them do this? They can just see your pretty legs, that's all," Nick replied and heard no more complaining from his shoulders. However, he did not need to see but knew nonetheless that her ears and cheeks would be decorated by a bright red.

Nick went directly to the exit of the Ferris wheel, where he searched for Dustin, an old friend of his, who worked like Carlos on the same funfair. Shortly before reaching him, Nick put Judy back on the ground. Her big eyes looked directly at Nick, as she wanted to hear something from him.

"Everything okay, Carrots?"

"Do...do really think that?"

"Think what?"

"That I have pretty legs?"

"Well, you also have a pretty tail but yes, I really think that. Is that so bad, Whiskers?" Nick said to Judy and grinned. Blushing and obviously happy with the answer, Judy turned to the exit of the Ferris wheel and walked slowly in this direction; well, hopped would be the better description for her behavior.

Nick followed her until she stopped, standing directly behind a relatively big warthog. Dustin was like always doing his job, he was standing there and helping mammals out of the gondolas and what should Nick say, he was good at it. He was probably the warthog on this planet with the slowest reaction but he was a good guy.

"Hey Dustin, how are you doing?"

The warthog turned around and needed a moment to realize who the red fox was. However, as soon as he understood who was visiting him, he spoke with a big smile to the red fox.

"Nick! How long has it been? 3 years? Oh man. Great to see you, how are you doing?"

"Well, it's been 7 years since I worked here but we meet about 6 months ago or so, during the Spring Festival. You worked there at the auto scooter, remember?" Nick asked. Dustin seemed confused but nodded after some seconds of thinking.

"Yeaaaaah, riiight. Sorry, my head...you know. So, what can I do for you and your little girlfriend?"

With these words, he looked at Judy and gave her a little wink. She still did not understand what was going on and why they stood at the exit of the Ferris wheel.

"Thanks for asking, could you organize us a gondola? Just for the two of us, you know? And don't worry I owe you one." Nick said and gave a little salute to the warthog, who just stood there and grinned before he continued.

"Sure Nick and don't worry, you can stay as long as you want. Just stand up when you come down so that I can let you both out." Dustin said.

"Thanks, Buddy, you have my number if you need something."

Nick nodded at him and gave a little wink to Judy to calm her down. He could already imagine that she wasn't okay with his approach of taking a ride on the Ferris wheel like this. Dustin opened the next arriving gondola for them and Nick held his paw to Judy to help her into the cabin. With light feet, Judy stepped in the gondola and sat on the right side. Nick followed her and sat across her.

Dustin closed the door of the gondola and after a first jolt, the Ferris wheel began again to move. Silence fell over the odd couple. For a while, they just sat and enjoyed the great view they had from their places. But after a while as if their eyes were to opposite poled magnets, went both their glances back at each other. They couldn't do anything about this.

Nick, who wore like so many times his green Hawaii shirt and brown pants, spread his arms over the backrest of his seat and looked deep into her purple eyes. Judy instead folded her paws and looked at the fox and his emerald green eyes.

Surprisingly for both of them was, that the silent moments they both shared never felt awkward. It was more a calm time were both could gather their thoughts, or enjoy a short moment of silence without the force to say anything, and knowing that the other was still there waiting to continue their conversations whenever they felt like it.

The gondola slowly rose above the trees of the park and showed them the illuminated skyline of Zootopia. Judy seemed to enjoy the warm evening, the light breeze and the view over the city. She turned her head to the skyline of the inner city, while she started to speak.

"Why did you hustle me into visiting you?" Judy said with a sad sounding voice. She got him and Nick knew it. She caught him on spot with his paw in the cookie jar, like his Mum did when he was a little cub. And like always she was too clever, as if she wouldn't recognize what Nick was doing. That again confirmed Nick's theory, that her sweet and cute face was just a facade for all of her talents.

'We all wear masks, right Judy? Some of us look sly and others look cute but still, we are all wearing masks,' Nick thought to himself and of course he would try to come out of this.

"What do you mean, Carrots? We just had some fun during the day and..." Nick started to explain but Judy's gaze allowed no further flimsy excuses. The doe looked at him, like a mother who knew which of her kids broke the vase and who was tired of hearing any more lies about it. Nick knew his teasing of her ended for today.

"Don't play dumb with me. I'm not in the mood for this now. The moment we left the cafe, I knew you were up to something! You pulled the first move with the surprising fact game, just to force me into your little shooting game, in which you were amazingly good but nonetheless that lead to your wish, that I shall visit you. Am I right Mr. Wilde?" Judy said, and Nick could see how she stomped nervously with her right feet on the ground.

"First, thank you for the compliment, that I was amazingly good, you know, I like this sentence from females; and second, don't you want to visit me?" Nick asked confused, he had thought she would do it, despite the fact that they had known each other just for some weeks. Maybe he was wrong and what he

"That is not the point Nick. To be honest, I was quite impressed with the plan you worked out and shared on memories with me, just to see a bunny from time to time in the academy." Judy replied, and gave him a smile. Nick exhaled deeply, only the truth was something that could save him now.

". . . Fine. Do you want to know? I was embarrassed and thought you wouldn't visit a grown-up fox. I just need my weekly dose of Carrots; I mean, who else would I tease the whole time?" Nick tried to smile but it wasn't one of his best smiles today, he felt that, at the moment, Judy was pretty damn serious.

"Nick, in half a year, you will be my partner on the streets. Our lives depend on the trust we share and so does our friendship. It is not something that can be taken lightly." Judy said with a serious gaze and her arms crossed in front of her chest

"I know... I'm sorry." Nick replied and dropped his head, watching to the floor of the gondola.

Judy started to lean over to Nick and took his snout into her paws. Her face was just some inches away from his. Nose to nose.

Nobody knew it, not even Judy but at this moment Nick was so nervous about the closeness to another mammal, like never before in his life, and he had to concentrate on his feelings or his head would easily close the gap. A hard fight was taking place in his head, the one side screamed 'Come on, do it. Kiss her, that's what you want and she probably too!' but the other cried almost as loud as the first one 'NO! Stop it, you risk the best friendship you ever had! What is if she doesn't like you?', but none of them seem to win and so he remained silent and waited for her to reply.

"So please, never do this again."

Nick had no cool or catchy answer, or even something elaborated, so he just stuck to the obvious. Plain and simple.

"Never."

And with this word out, she gave him a little spank with her paws on his muzzle and started like to laugh like a little kid who tricked his best friend. Nick realized slowly that this was exactly what happened just now. She had tricked him.

"Good, because, twice a week, I will work as an instructor at the academy. Of course, I will visit you at the weekends. You know, Bogo didn't want me to work alone, so I'm up to 3 days paperwork and 2 days in the academy."

Now the time had come for Nick's jaw to drop and his gaze faded to pure emptiness. Slowly he asked the only possible but also a rhetorical question.

"You tricked me?" Nick said in utter disbelief. Unable to understand that this little and cute face had fooled him? Her? Miss Righteousness?

"It's called a hustle sweetheart and I know you would like it." Judy purred into his face, her smile wider than ever before. It took him some time but he regained his normal expression and was ready to shoot back.

"I can't believe it you . . . Well, actually. . . . You know you would make a pretty good hustler? Don't you?" Nick said with his smug face.

"Oh, how dare you!" Judy replied and played the hurt police officer.

"Sly Bunny."

"Dumb fox."

Both chuckled and continued watching the skyline again. They were by now on the highest point of the Ferris wheel and before the town at night. A majestic view for the too, which silenced both for a moment, until Judy remembered what she wanted to ask.

"Say, Nick, you didn't sell just pawpsickles to mammals, right?" Judy asked and he could hear that she didn't want to hear another sly comment from him, just the truth.

"What, for so long? No, I worked here and there, met mammals, sold things. How do you think I could know so many of them? Like I said, it was no understatement, when I said I knew everybody." Nick replied. The fox still watched the skyline, while he leaned with his left arm on the railing of the gondola. His head laid on his arm.

"So like Dustin? He seems to be a nice guy? Why did you stop working here?"

"Oh he is the best, maybe a little bit slow but hey, at least he didn't work for the DMV. The funfair events...well, let's say the boss of the funfair and I had different opinions on a specific topic and he kicked me out"

"Sounds pretty unspecific..."

Nick smiled and went into deeper details about his mysterious past. A past with so many stories, that he would need half his life to tell Judy every one of them.

"The boss of this place was in a leading position for mammal trafficking. Because this funfair changes its location every eight weeks, it is very suitable for hiding mammals as a layover and no, I had nothing to do with this. I heard the whole news about this place from Dustin and helped him to shut it. I too had my limits and something you can call a code: no drugs, no weapons, no money and of course no mammals. Because of this restriction, I was dead for most of the criminals in this town, I mean in terms of business. So, the only things I could do to earn my daily meal was to do half legal things, like the one you caught me with." Nick explained. His head still rested on his arm but he looked now directly at Judy.

"So, this code is the reason you walked on the fine-line between honest citizen and street hustler?" Judy asked carefully and with her best smile.

Nick leaned a little bit over the railing of the gondola, to enjoy the breeze of the warm summer night and looked again over to the skyline of the city. Judy watched how the fur on his muzzle moved slowly in the wind.

"Exactly, that's what happened...Well, at least until some cute little bunny came along and accused me of tax evasion," Nick said and winked to Judy, who thought for a moment about the scolding Nick for using the c-word but seemed to let it slide for this time

"Anyhow, there were this two girls, bobcat sisters, and the owner saw them as personal property. One night, after Dustin told me this I helped them to escape. Together they went to the ZPD, made a statement, got protection from someone in the city and got the director into jail. And this was 7 years ago...but still today I don't understand why I did that."

Nick closed his eyes and waited for a reply from the doe, but after some time he felt something on his right paw. Judy had grabbed for Nick's right paw and enclosed it with both of hers. Happy like a little child beamed Judy up to the fox, who couldn't understand what she wanted from him.

"I know why because you have more in you and you have the urge to help mammals. That's why I want you as my partner and nobody else! But tell me, was this the same incident that lead to the music competition and you changing your name?" Judy said and drew her paws back.

Nick was tipping his nose with one of his fingers to show her that she was on the right path. After that, she laid her paw on his and was watching him again with those big amethyst eyes. If this was one of those romantic movies, in which Nick had been with Judy one or two times, they would kiss now and say how much they loved each other but this wasn't a movie, this was their reality.

It was not the right time, Nick decided, and he broke the romantic moment, despite the fact that he liked the atmosphere. Like month ago, where he had been in the nearly same situation with Judy, Nick exhaled deeply and drew his paw back.

"Oh come on Carrots, let's not be so emotional. Besides, I have something for you."

Judy showed at first a slight disappointment about the interrupted atmosphere but as soon as she saw the gift from Nick, her curiosity won over the feelings from the little bummer and, like always when something interested her, Judy raised her ears.

"What? For me?"

"Yep, just for you. I think it's not bad, that you have this one for the time the real deal isn't around."

The nose of the little doe twitched fast, as she followed Nick's paws with her eyes. Her own paws clasped the blue fabric of her dress over her thigh. He pulled a stuffed animal out of the bag, more exactly a little red fox, half her size. Judy's eyes light up and confirmed his correct choice of a plushie.

"Oh my god, thank you, Nick! That's so . . . I mean I never got a present from someone on a funfair! Thank you!" Judy said and gave Nick a quick hug and another dose of her sweet scent.

But she seemed to make fun of Nick. Why wouldn't get a pretty bunny like her not a present on a funfair from someone? It made no sense for the fox.

"What? There's not some happy memory between you and a buck your age, strolling arm in arm over the funfair in Bunnyburrow? Eating cotton candy on this both and driving auto scooter on the next?" Nick asked with a questioning gaze on his face.

But Judy just kept on smiling, she turned the stuffed fox in her paws, inspecting every inch of him. The red of the stuffed mammal almost matched perfectly the one of Nick's. To all of this came that the little guy wore brown pants and a green shirt, just like another fox she knew.

"No, not once," Judy replied still inspecting the gift and didn't seem depressed about the answer she gave. And there it was again, that little sting, that Nick felt as Judy told her that and he could just try to be sorry.

"Geez Carrots, I'm sorry to hear that," Nick replied.

"You don't have to be. Until now, I was never really interested in any relationship. So don't worry. To become a cop was my number one wish and, besides that, I was like an outsider in our school." Judy said as if it was nothing but Nick knew just too well how it was and what it did to you to be left alone.

"Why's that?"

"I stood up for everyone who had problems and tried even back then to make the world a better place. But some of the other mammals made fun of me and tried to avoid me because of my odd behavior." Judy explained with no trace of remorse.

Nick noticed her statement about relationships and asked himself what she meant with that. Judy, however, placed the fox on her lap and hugged him from behind. Nick could see how tired she was, as soon as she placed her head on the head of the stuffed fox. Never in his life, Nick wanted so badly to change his place with a stuffed animal, well, basically he had never wanted that before, but there's a first time for everything.

"Don't worry, Carrots, from now on, nobody will make fun of you, or they'll get problems with me," Nick said and Judy replied with a little smile, "Oh, Mr. Wilde becomes protective for a little bunny…. That's nice of you Nick but I'm a big girl now and I think I can protect myself."

"Well, it's never bad to have a fox to watch your back," Nick said with a grin and leaned back, watching the skyline slowly disappear, as the gondola went down.

Judy was still in a good mode and teased him a little bit longer, "You mean like you did shortly before we got to the shooting gallery?"

For a second Nick lost control over his facial expression, not long but it was enough for Judy to confirm her thoughts. Like a schoolboy, Nick turned his head away from her and looked over the now dark park, "I don't know what you're talking about, Whiskers."

Both mammals rode another round on the Ferris wheel before Nick saw that Judy almost fell asleep on the head of the stuffed fox. She closed her eyes slowly but still looked over the funfair, the park and the town in the background; Nick knew that it was time for her to call it a day.

"What do you say, Carrots? Another ride on this crazy wheel?" Nick asked and slapped with his paw against the metal frame of the gondola.

"Nah, I think I'm fine. Tomorrow is another long day, so I think I will head home. Would you mind accompany me to my train station?" The sleepy bunny asked as she stretched her paws over her back.

"It would be my pleasure to escort you," Nick replied with a smug grin.

They stood up and waited for the help of Dustin to get down from the gondola. After a little thank you and an autograph from Judy, Dustin had finally realized who she was, they both made their way from the funfair over to nearest Metro Station. Talking and joking they both walked through the Downtown of Zootopia. It was an incredibly quiet and warm night, the perfect conditions for a stroll in the evening.

Unfortunately, for Nick was the stroll not really long and it was time to say goodbye. Again he felt a little sting in his chest but he knew this one would stay a little bit longer than the others had, at least until they met again.

Standing on the platform of the Metro Station, there were still some minutes until Judy's train arrived and both started to say their goodbyes to each other.

With crossed arms, Nick stood in front of Judy and said, "So, hustler bunny, I wish you a good night and dream of some carrot cake. Will I see my favorite bunny tomorrow?"

A giggle came as a first reply from the doe.

"Thanks, Nick and yeah, I should be free for dinner, so please call me before," Judy said and looked to the nearest timetable for the trains. After she confirmed the time, she continued to talk.

"And I wish you a good night as well, Mister Wilde and don't forget, no hustling," Judy said with a stretched out index finger to underline her statement but she was also smiling up to him.

Only a minute until her train arrived. Judy looked slightly dazzled up to Nick and said, "You have there something in your fur Nick...no not there...on your right cheek."

Judy knew that Nick was always eager to fix his appearance and even after half a minute of correcting his fur he wasn't done. Well, he couldn't be, because there was nothing to fix. Nick wasn't the only one, who could play tricks on others to reach a goal; Judy had learned more than a few things in her time with him.

"Still there?" Nick asked a little bit annoyed. Judy's train was already entering the Metro Station and he didn't want that this was the last impression from him.

"Wait, Nick...bow down...I will fix it for you…," Judy said smiling. However, as soon as Nick's head was on her heights, she wrapped her paw around his right cheek, drew him closer to her and gave him a short kiss on the left cheek. Confused about the sudden interaction, Nick forgot even his last words, the only thing he could do was standing there and looking after her with a slightly open mouth.

Judy, on the other paw, took her stuffed fox, walked over to her train and turned a last time around to Nick. Smiling to him, she said, "Don't look so dazzled dumb fox, a debt is a debt, right Nick?"

"Yeah...I just hoped you'd forget it and I could wait for interest rates…," Nick replied with a weak voice and waved with his right paw. It was almost too gorgeous how she was standing there, waiting for her train to start in her blue dress, still hugging her stuffed fox. Both waved a last time at each other before the doors of the train closed.

Alone and confused, Nick stood still for a while in the Metro Station and thought about the kiss. Minutes passed before he could decide what he should do now. He knew that he should go home but it took him another minute before he started to move.

Exhaling deeply, he made his way to his apartment. It took him almost 10 minutes longer to return home than normal and that just because he took for some stations the wrong train. This had never happened to him, why was he so rattled? Just because of the kiss from a little bunny? He couldn't answer this question . . . at least not yet.

Finally home, he made himself a white tea, like he always did, and stood on his balcony, watching the moon, thinking about the day and what Judy told him today. A short message arrived, that she had returned safely home, which Nick just answered with a good night and a fox smiley.

"A clean-cut, huh?" Nick said to himself, taking a sip from the tea in his left paw and rotating his phone in the right. Grinning, he said to himself, "Maybe Judy is right and it's time for the lost son to return home."

It wasn't fear that kept him from going back to his mother, nor was it something he couldn't fix. The more he thought about it, the more he knew, there wasn't anything broken, that it was just shame and guilt. Shame for the things he had said to her and guilt for the things he had done afterward, the hustling, the searching and keeping himself away from his mother and sister because he had taught himself that he was no good for them. After all those years, he wasn't proud of his mistakes but he was somehow thankful for some of them.

With quick fingers, he went to the contacts app and scrolled through the almost countless phone numbers he had gathered over the years and the notes he had made for each of them – most of them still owed him a favor.

Nevertheless, there it was, the number he was looking for, the one of the restaurant of his mother. It was now almost midnight and he knew that she would be sitting in her small office, planning the next day, maybe even drinking a glass of wine or chewing on some licorice as a reward for the hard day.

After some hesitation, he dialed the number and it took not even two rings until he heard the familiar but also long missed voice of his mother. She sounded like a typical female vixen in her 50s, confident and with a little smile at the end of every sentence.

"Emilia Wilde, how can I help you at this unholy hour?"

"Hey, mum… I knew it's been a while…"

Slightly annoyed, Emilia Wilde interrupted her son, which she seemed to mistaken for her daughter," Honestly Patricia, it's no longer funny to call me and pretending to be Nicholas. I know, yes, you are good at imitating his voice but these calls have to stop. We laughed one or two times but now it's over, okay?"

Nick exhaled deeply and shook his head, smiling: the relationship with his mother was...well let's say interesting. Nick met from time to time his sister Patricia, a young vixen on the verge of becoming a medical doctor and both shared a deep connection to each other. And his sister Patricia was...different. A cheerful mammal if you knew how to take her but sometimes even on the edge to insanity or far beyond. 'And the imitation of me seems to be Patricia's latest trick she played on others…' Nick thought and sighed.

His mum was more like him, to be exactly she was like a 50-year-old, female version of Nick, just with the big difference that she hated crime and everything illegal. She had worked for everything she had in her life and she would defend it just as eagerly.

"No mum, it's really me. Nick."

A short silence before Nick heard her voice again. She sounded surprised but, more than that, happy, something Nick could tell even from the phone.

"Nicholas?"

"Please mum, just listen first. I wanted to ask if it's okay to meet tomorrow with you and Patty?" At first, there was just silence, but it was fast replaced by the heartwarming laughter of his mother.

"Dumb fox, of course, it is. I told you my door will always be open for you, no matter what happens. But why the sudden change?"

"Let's just say, there will things change in the future and I want to tell you and Patty about this. And…"

"And?"

Nick could almost hear the grin on her face through the phone. Somehow, she already knew, what he wanted to tell her or so it felt to Nick.

"And...I want you two to meet someone important in my life, with whom I will spend a lot of time in the future."

Something rumbled in the background of Nick's mother's office. He had an idea what this could be and put his tea on the floor.

"Nicholas...please wait a second I put you on speaker, your sister just walked in."

"What? No...mum. Mum! Mum? Wait, that's..."

However, Nick couldn't stop her from letting Patricia into the conversation. He could almost feel how both vixen stood now grinning around the phone, waiting for him to answer. All he could do was sitting on one of his chairs and try to survive this conversation the best of his possibilities. One of his paws massaged slowly his temples and the other tried to hold the phone to his ear.

"Hey...prince charming, how are you doing?" Nick's sister Patricia echoed through the phone.

"Hey Patty, I'm fine and I hope so are your patients in the hospital?" Nick replied to her and he felt how he slowly started to smile.

"Well . . . some of them, yes. What's up bro, you're finally ready to come back?"

Emilia answered the question faster than her son did.

"Oh yes Patricia, he is. Nicholas will come tomorrow to us for dinner and then even in company of young lady."

"No way! Wait...damn it!"

Nick knew his mum and sister good enough to know that something was going on on the other end of the phone. Patricia seemed to walk around the little office, cursing like an old sailor in Spanish.

"Why are you all of a sudden so moody, Patty?"

"You must forgive her, Nicholas, but we two had a little bet running on your behalf."

The red fox leaned back and looked up to the moon; he had almost forgotten how much he missed the conversations with his mother, they were sometimes exhausting but always entertaining. Nick wasn't mad at the two for the bet. Oh no, he would have done the exact same thing, in their position.

"Okay, what was it about?"

"Well, Patricia said that you would come back on your own and I said, older and wiser as I am, that only a female could fix this problem...Oh please Patricia, don't sulk like that..."

The little tantrum from Patricia over her lost bet seemed to be over, all Nick could hear from her now was the loud exhaling.

"That's it, I'm out...Nick, see you tomorrow and don't forget your bunny. I have now a date with my wardrobe, from which I need to choose the right dress for this rare occasion." Patty said and her voice trailed slowly off until Nick couldn't hear her anymore.

"What? Patty...wait," but it was too late, Nick's overexcited sister was long gone and only he and his mother stayed behind. Now, where only one mammal was left, Nick asked, "What does she mean with my bunny, Mum?"

"Oh Nicholas, do you really think we two beauties live under a stone? We saw, of course, your interview with Miss Hopps on TV. So, who else could you bring to us tomorrow?"

"You got me, Old Lady, I bow down before your wisdom," Nick said and chuckled about his mother's words. A short silence passed between her and Nick. After some seconds, Nick recognized that his mother's voice changed. It became softer and almost loving no hint of sarcasm in it.

"Nicholas…?"

"Yes, mum?"

"I'm happy that you are coming back...I missed you."

Another short silence took between mother and son before Nick replied.

"I missed you too, Mum...I...I see you tomorrow, same old house and same old time, I guess?"

Another heartwarming laughter of Emilia echoed through the speaker of Nick's phone. It was now, that Nick understood and felt how much he missed it.

"You know that I hate it to change things Nicholas, so of course it will be the same time and the same place. You know your old room is still untouched, cleaned but untouched. If you want to stay overnight for the sake of the good old times..." Emilia Wilde replied and Nick could again hear this typical smile from her over the phone. Of course, understood the red fox the allusion of his mother.

"Thanks, mum, but I have my own place."

"Of course, I always forget how old you already are. I wish you a good night, my Son."

"Good night, Mum."

The call ended, but for a while longer he held the phone in his paw. Nick stood up and grabbed his cup from the floor; in it only the last, bitter part of his tea; he drank it in one gulp. Fascinated by the view in front of him, he stayed at the railing and asked himself what would Judy say about his family. If she would accompany him tomorrow? The thought about his mother and sister made him smile. But not just about them, he also thought about the past and the things yet to come.

* * *

 **Judy**

* * *

The gray bunny was making herself ready for bed. After a hot shower, Judy laid now on her bed in her purple sleeping shorts and top. Tomorrow, she knew awaited her a lot of patrolling on the streets of Zootopia, but at least she could hope that she could meet Nick for dinner. A ray of hope for a probably dull and uneventful day.

'Nick… Why can't I get you out of my mind?' Judy asked herself and went in her mind over all the events of the current day. No matter how she turned it, this day was one of the best. Everyday with Nick was somehow special to her and the more time they spend together, the more important he became to her. Judy could already feel that there was coming another discussion with herself and no matter what she did, she would lose this discussion.

'Why is he always so handsome to me?' Judy asked into the depths of her mind, waiting for her own inner voice to reply.

'Maybe because he likes you? Did you ever thought about this possibility?' The voice replied.

'Of course, I thought about it, but he is a fox and I am a bunny. How should that work?'

'Maybe it would work but just if you would let it happen.'

'But what is if I don't like him enough?'

'Really? You ask yourself that question? You are into him since the end of the Night Howler case! Or better since the moment you know that he could close his fangs around your throat without anything happening to you. You can trust him blindly and you know that. You even wanted to invite him to your home.'

'Since when is trust alone enough for a deeper relationship?'

'It's not all, but it is the foundation on which everything else will be built. But If you don't like him enough, then tell me why did you give him this kiss? You know it was just a joke from him and nothing more. Even he forgot about it. So why did you do it?' The voice asked and Judy knew she had lost.

'Because...I don't know! Why does my own mind has to be so annoying!' Judy grunted and threw herself on her back. Her paws were clenched to fists, which covered right now her eyes. It took her some time and some controlled breathing, but slowly she relaxed and she swung her paws behind her on the bed. Judy was annoyed with herself and looked up to the ceiling.

'I'm so annoying because I am you. And you can't accept that you don't know the answer to the question.'

'To which question?'

'You know which question…'

'You are no help…'

Judy sighed and was interrupted by her phone. She thanked all three goddesses that it wasn't her parents. It was a message from Fru and it seemed, that she was more than curious how the day of the gray doe went.

'Maybe Fru can help you with the question?' Her voice said and went silent. Judy sighed again, turned to lay on her stomach and took her phone in her paws to respond her rodent friend.

 _Fru: 'Hey Judy! How was your date with Nick? (^w^)'_

She could feel how the heat spread about her cheeks but she tried to ignore the feeling for now.

 _Judy: 'Fru, it wasn't a date! (-_-')'_

 _Fru: 'Okay if you say so… But, what did you two do?'_

 _Judy: 'The usual stuff, visit a coffee shop together, walking through the park, strolling about the funfair...Oh, Nick shot me a stuffed animal and he got us a ride on the Ferris wheel.'_

Judy had just hit the send button when she realized how everything she had just written would sound to someone else. What she described was a perfect date and she didn't saw it. Not one moment. Fast she began to type before Fru could respond to her.

 _Judy: 'I know how that sounds but it wasn't like that!'_

 _Fru: 'Oh honey, if you say so…'_

After the last reply of the rodent, Judy dropped her head and phone to the bed. She didn't expect another reply and right now she also wanted no further reply. But like so often are wish and reality two completely different things. The ping tone of her phone brought her back and she looked at the small screen.

 _Fru: 'Judy, can I ask you something?'_

Judy waited a moment before she began to type.

 _Judy: 'Sure'_

 _Fru: 'What is Nick for you?'_

Judy stared just at the bright screen, when a voice echoed from the back of her head, 'See? She knows the question.' The gray doe damned for a short moment her own thoughts but continued with typing.

 _Judy: 'I don't know, I think we are just good friends.'_

Her eyes slowly wandered from the phone to the stuffed animal, which sat in front of her and seemed to watch her texting with the shrew. Judy laid on her back and looked at the stuffed animal.

"From down here you seem almost to grin at me or do you remember me just of another fox, mmh?" Judy said with a smile to the fox, who looked with his black button eyes down at her. Her phone made again a little ping sound, which drew her attention back to the conversation.

 _Fru: 'Judy why are you so worried about the fact that you could be more than just friends? ( • • ?)'_

 _Judy: 'I know, it shouldn't but isn't it odd that a bunny and a fox...you know...'_

 _Fru: 'Not long ago it was odd that bunnies could be police officers. I don't know any predator-prey relationship myself but why shouldn't you two be the first? And maybe you aren't?'_

She had a point there but still, it was such a tricky situation and they weren't even partners in the ZPD yet.

 _Judy: 'I don't know Fru. I need time to think about...all of this.'_

 _Fru: 'Don't worry, Judy, if you need someone to talk I'll be there for you. And remember if you really want to know, ask him what you two are. For your sake and his.'_

Judy didn't think that the answer was so easy to find. She sat by now with her back against the wall, the stuffed animal in her lap. She hugged the small fox from behind and watched the moon travel over the clear night sky. Slowly, her head sunk to the head of the little fox.

"He is just a friend, everything else would make it just more complicated, or not? Do we really have to hide what we feel? I wish you could be here with me and see what I see right now."

With those last words in her mind ended her thoughts for the day. She grabbed her fox even tighter and drifted slowly to sleep.

* * *

 **Woodpecker**

* * *

The snow leopard closed the door to his car and stepped directly into a puddle, which was halfway filled with mud and rain. It was no good start for his work here. Moreover, one thing was already sure: for tomorrow, he needed a new suite and Woodpecker knew that his wife wouldn't be delighted to clean mud from his trousers.

A half-loud growl escaped his throat but there was nobody around him who could hear him. But he knew one thing for sure: Trogon, the mammal who planned this operation would pay for this. Woodpecker thought about the black wolf with his stupid grin and could already imagine that he did this on purpose; he used every opportunity to make his stupid jokes and little pranks. Clown would be a better suiting job for Trogon and not the one he had, as a leading mammal in a professional organization. Woodpecker, which was of course not his real name, went in direction of the bar which stood for many years here in the Meadowlands of Zootopia. Right now it was just an old scrap yard, filled with old cars, bikes, and other discarded metal. In the middle of this metal graveyard was 'the Broken Pipe', a bar made out of huge metal plates, car parts, and other junk. Right now, it just provided shelter for the lowest of the society. Thugs, addicts, and thieves were the normal clientele. No mammal with good intentions would ever go to this place.

The bar was still some meters away but the thick fog got worse. Right now Woodpecker's fur was almost completely damp and if there was a thing he hated, then it was damp fur, and of course, mud on his suit – Trogon would pay for it, so much was sure.

Without hesitation, he walked into the rustic bar and looked around; the only other mammal in the room was the barkeeper, an old raccoon with a big scar on his right cheek. He was also a member of the organization and knew what he had to do. Tables, chairs and all other old interior stood abandoned in the room and Woodpecker was never sure if the inside or the outside of the 'Broken Pipe' was sadder to look at.

"Are they already here?" The Snow Leopard asked with a rough voice.

The Raccoon didn't answer, all he did was nodding and going back to his daily work, so Woodpecker went on. It seemed that the bar would end in some meters, but behind a huge and movable metal part laid another room, this one was almost as empty as the other one. However, there was a big difference here: at the last table sat two timber wolves. One laid with his head on the table and was sleeping, the other was reading something on his smartphone. Both seemed to be in no good physical conditions and the only ones who had followed the call for work. Sometimes it seemed for Woodpecker as if all capable criminals were already part of The Company, and everything that was now left on the streets was either a coward or an idiot. And if so to which of the two categories belong those two? He would soon know.

"Are you two here because of the rumor?" Woodpecker asked, still walking towards them.

The wolf with the smartphone looked up to the Snow Leopard. He had a skeptical look on his face and seemed as if life had taught him to be better safe than sorry with the ones who stood in front of him.

"Who wants to know that?" The gray wolf with the smartphone asked and looked at the Snow Leopard from head to toe, unsure what he should think of the huge and intimidating feline. Both were obviously brothers and wore some dark blue and worn out sweat suits. The clothing looked cheap and the mammals in them more than tired.

"You can call me Woodpecker."

The other brother woke slowly up from his sleep and answered with a chuckle, "Woodpecker? Pfft, a stupid name! Who gave you that name, your mamma?"

The wolf who answered the Snow Leopard first seemed to understand the situation, the tone against his brother became much tougher and he yanked his brother over to him by his collar. The just awoken wolf looked unsure about what just happened but remained silent.

"B-Billy, what's wrong? Who is he?" the half awaken wolf stammered to his brother. Fear was now the only thing in his eyes.

"Shut up, Jim. Obviously, it's a code name. Here, take this and get us something to eat." The smarter brother of the duo, with the name Bill, replied.

"But, but that is our last money…" The confused brother said.

"For the sake of the three goddesses, just do IT!" Bill yelled at his brother and he turned in fear around and walked towards the improvised metal door. Woodpecker could feel that the remaining brother was obviously embarrassed by his sibling.

"You'll have to excuse him, he is not… the smartest…" Bill said and cleared his throat.

"It's okay, as long as you can keep him under control and he will do as commanded."

"Yes! Yes, yes that will be no problem. By the way, my name is Bill Meyer and the idiot who got us something to eat is my brother Jim. Please take a seat."

His shaking paw pointed over the table, to another chair. Woodpecker took it and sat directly in front of Bill. The wolf was afraid, Woodpecker could smell that very clearly. But he continued, he had work to do and the Snow Leopard wanted eagerly to go home.

"Do you know why you are here?"

"Y-Yes, you are looking for new members for your organization, but this is all I know, " Bill answered slightly nervous. He knew he had a dangerous and influential mammal in front of him, one wrong word and everything could go south.

"Okay, first thing, if one word of our conversation leaves this room, then you and your brother will die."

Bill gulped but nodded as an answer.

"Good, I think you understand what is on the line for you. I will make it quick for you and me. What we want is that you join the ZPD, graduate from the academy training and work for us in the rows of the ZPD. As soon as we say it, you will execute every command we order, you will give us import intel, weekly reports and so on. Do you understand me, Mr Meyer?" Woodpecker explained and laid the briefcase on his thighs.

"Yes, I guess so. We are basically snitches, right?" Bill asked, but dared not longer than some seconds to look into Woodpeckers gray eyes.

"All in all, yes." The Snow Leopard replied.

"Okay, that's no problem. We can do that." Bill assured.

"Second, and at the moment the most important thing you will do is observe and report."

"Observe?" Bill asked.

"Yes, and to be precise you will watch very closely Officer Judy Hopps and Nicholas Wilde…" Woodpecker explained but was interrupted by

"Wilde? Nick...Wilde? But he is a street hustler? He has nothing to do with the cops." Bill explained confused. Woodpecker ignored Bill's rude manners and just went on.

"He was but joined the ZPD some weeks ago. Hopps is still without a partner and because of that she will train the recruits in the academy. When Wilde ends his training, he will be assigned to her. Do you understand?"

"Yes of course. But why those two?" Bill asked.

"I give you a good advice, Bill. Never ask questions, as long as you have no code name or a reputation. We have our reasons for monitoring Wilde and Hopps."

"Of course, I-I'm sorry," Bill replied and dropped his gaze back to the table.

Woodpecker nodded and searched in his briefcase for the papers. Quickly he found what he was searching for and Bill looked with widened eyes at him and the two heavy contracts, with at least fifty pages. Woodpecker laid both of them in front of him. The wolf surely awaited something else than standard paper contracts.

"We are an organization and with that we have contracts. Read it carefully and if you have finished it, read it again," Woodpecker said and tapped with the claw of his right index finger at the paper, "This contract binds you to us and that's until death. No exceptions, no turning back; once into it, only death can free you. Think about it and make your Decision."

No answer from Bill, he just nodded and took the two contracts in his paw. Woodpecker's time here was over, so he stood up and said his last words.

"You have three days to think about joining us. During this time you can stay here. Eat and sleep are on our costs. If you sign, give the contracts to the barkeeper, he will inform us and we will talk about the upcoming task." Woodpecker said and closed the button on his black suit.

"We will...and thank you," Bill answered with a smile. No fake, this was just happiness.

"Don't thank me too soon. You have no idea what awaits you. Goodnight Mr. Meyer."

Woodpecker turned around and walked back into the first room. The barkeeper looked at him and this time it was the Snow Leopard who nodded to him, he replied with the same gesture and everything seemed to be clear between them. Jim, the other sibling, fell asleep on the bar while he was sitting on a high chair at the counter. Besides him stood two plates with undefined soup. Woodpecker looked down at the food and thanked the three goddesses for the cooking skills of his wife.

When he thought about his wife and daughter, he was glad that this was his last task for today and he could finally drive home. At the door, he took a quick look back at the sad scenery but he decided rather quickly that the view was not worth it. The door opened and he looked right into thick fog, he sighed a last time before he stepped right into the disgusting weather and towards his home.


	2. Rejection

_"Every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better." - Steve Maraboli_

* * *

 **Nick**

* * *

'I still can't believe that I'm following Judy's idea. Especially today it could end badly.' Nick thought while he walked on the pavement of Elk Wood road through Savannah Central. His paws stuck in the pockets of his pants, and his gaze wandered over the ground, but his thoughts were already at his aim and some even further in the future. The emerald colored eyes of the fox were, as so often on bright and sunny days, hidden behind dark aviator sunglasses.

Nick made his way through the suburbs of Zootopia, but slowly, he still tried to avoid the upcoming conversation as much as possible. Even so, he knew that he couldn't prevent it from happening. Right now, Nick was heading to a house with an unusual composition of mammals. At least it was uncommon for an area in which mostly families, young couples and older mammals lived. Nick's aim was the old and not very intact house of Badger, one of his oldest friends whom he knew since his childhood. Badger, whose real name was Brandon Mayhew but was from everyone just called after his species. He was not one of the smartest mammals in the streets, but he was loyal and kind, a fact that made him even more likable. Especially his kindness brought him sometimes in a lot of trouble. Being kind was not one of the best personal traits you could have when you earn your daily wage by hustling other mammals. In all those years, Nick had never saw him in a fist fight; he was more the guy who dragged you out of the trouble and back into safety, than the other way around.

Badger's house looked like a dump between all of this new and fancy buildings. He inherited his current home from his grandmother when she passed away. Her death had been eight years ago, and since then the whole building knew just one way to go, and that was south. There had also been a time in Nick's life in which he had lived here. It had been a short and exciting period but he couldn't stand it for too long. He needed to be his on his own.

Badger wasn't living alone here. He shared his home with the last member of their old crew. Peter Sinclair, the last member, was an Opossum, who everyone on the streets just called, Skinny Pete.

Pete was not the fastest mammal in Zootopia, neither with mind or body. A lot of mammals had said that he resembled more a sloth than an Opossum. He was similar to Badger, but he could defend himself when he needed to.

That was Nick's old crew, a badger who was too kind, an Opossum who was too slow, a Desert Fox with severe aggression problems and of course Nick. He knew that this meeting would not be comfortable for him, but it had to be done, not to forget that he made a promise to Judy, and he knew he couldn't break that.

All Nick wanted, was to make a clean-cut, no misunderstandings and no false hope for any of the mammals he knew and which were close to him. This was the least Nick could do, but he also knew this meeting here could become ugly. Finnick was not one who liked to hear bad news.

He had finally reached his aim. Without hesitation, Nick stepped on the yellow lawn of Badgers property and headed towards the entrance.

'Okay, somebody should take care of this, it looks terrible.' Nick thought, as he grimaced a bit. When he walked over the lawn, the red fox took a good look at the building and decided that the house was in terrible shape. The white paint was slowly coming off the walls, one of the two upper windows had still a considerable crack, and someone fixed it just with a large piece of car tonnage. To all of that also came the brown door which looked terrible with the rest of the white house.

Nick took off his sunglasses and plugged them into the neckline of his green shirt. When he placed his paw on the doorknob, he already knew how the inside would be: dark, stuffy and dirty. As always, the door was open, and Nick pushed it as quietly as possible.

Two steps inside the house and he could already hear the argument which was going on. Nick couldn't hear what it was about, but the tone sounded not very welcoming.

'Here we go,' He thought, 'Let's see what I can do about this little fighting scene in the living room.' Nick walked into the door frame of the living room but kept himself hidden in the shadows.

" . . . I told you it's bullshit without Nick to do the pawpsickle hustling," Finnick screamed at Pete. However, Badger just sat on the couch and listened calmly to the arguments that were flying around. They had not even realized that Nick was in the room with them.

"What about the hustle with the scarf, the egg, and the fake gun?" Nick shouted from the door frame into the living room.

"That's just some shit Nick tells everyone, no real trick . . . ," Finnick replied slightly sore. As soon as the mammals in the room realized from where and even more critical from whom this question came, all eyes rushed over to Nick. To his surprise was Pete the first who reacted. Slowly walked the Opossum over to give him a friendly hug.

"Hey there, Nicky! We were waiting for you, buddy!" Pete said with an honest smile and dragged Nick in the middle of the living room.

The formerly white wallpaper with the purple lilies on them was now almost yellow. Some parts of the paper even started to come loose from the walls. The windows to the backside and the front side of the house were dirty, almost to the point where you couldn't see if it was day or night outside. In the room, beside the couch on which Badger sat, stood two more armchairs and a massive dining table, which was made of oak, with some more chairs around it. Besides that traditional interior, a lot of cardboard boxes also stood all over the room. Nick didn't even want to know what was in them but could guess that most of it wasn't legal. All of the things here had one thing in common, they were in a miserable condition, and the only place that was a bit empty was the middle of the room where Finnick stood.

"Oooh man Nick, it's so good to see you again. Where have you been," Pete asked and sniffed as if he had had to fight a little cold in the last days, but Nick guessed it was some tears which he was trying to hold back.

'So emotional these Opossums,' Nick thought.

"Good, good. I can't complain, Pete," Nick replied and saw that Finnick was looking at him with a dark gaze. He could already imagine what was going through the mind of the small fox.

"Hey, Nick. So you're finally back from your PR tour with Officer Toot-toot," Finnick asked. The little desert fox had his arms crossed in front of his chest and waited for a reply.

"Yeah, the interviews are finally over for her. . . And come on Finnick, I was just in one of them with her, so no need to make a big ruckus about it," Nick replied and greeted now Badger the same way he welcomed Pete just moments ago.

"Good, finally! Can we please go back to our normal lives and leave that shit behind us? Ya know how many days and money we have lost?"

All of them looked directly at Finnick, who stood in the middle of the room and waited for the discussion of their current situation to continue. But no one responded to his last question, Pete and Badger seemed too happy about the fact that Nick was back in their little group, that they didn't want to think about the discussion from before or even continue it, but Finnick would.

"Okay, you two will search for someone who will buy the shit we have still stored at the docks. Nick and I will, for now, continue with the pawpsickle hustling and see…," Finnick continued to command the mammals in the room, but Nick interrupted him harshly.

"No," Nick felt calm and collected as he said those words to Finnick, but he knew it was just the calm before the storm. And the upcoming storm would be troublesome. Very troublesome.

"What the hell do ya mean with no? Are ya fucking kidding me, Wilde?" Finnick asked with slowly raising cold anger in his voice. The ears of the small predator laid now back at his head. He was ready to attack, and Nick saw it.

"No means . . . Tse . . . It's over Finnick, okay? I will no longer take part in the hustling," Nick replied.

The little Fennec fox looked at him as if Nick had punched him directly in the face. Nick stood by now with crossed arms in the center of the living room, Finnick straight in front of him. Pete and Badger had both withdrawn a little. Nick bet that they felt too what soon would come.

"What did you say?" Finnick asked in utter disbelief.

"I said my time of hustling is over. Finito, Bye bye and Dos Vidanja to the old times," Nick hoped he had made his point clear enough. All three stared at him with wide eyes. Badger and Pete visibly too shocked to answer, but Finnick was like a smoking volcano, ready to explode at any second.

'Damn! All I wanted was that everybody would be clear about my future, I promised this to Judy . . . What kind of situation did that damn bunny put me in?' Nick thought and kept his eyes on the small fox.

"I knew it! This fucking bitch turned you over! I can't believe it, you of all mammals! I mean, you were the last one, who I thought would give up what we do! And what do you want to do now? Mmmh? Buy a truck and sell pawpsickle the legal way?" Finnick shouted at Nick.

Everything in Nick screamed when Finnick had spoken about Judy in such a way but he needed to stay calm, or everything would have been even worse. Finnick was Nick's oldest friend, and he knew his temper and also his choice of words, but it still hurt the red fox to hear that someone talked about Judy like this. Nick also noticed that his normally handsome smirk was long gone from his muzzle and he didn't even try to use some smart or sly words, it would be pointless in a dispute with someone who knew him so well. Finnick was an expert when it came to breaking his mask. There was just one explanation Nick could give him today, and that was the truth. Unfortunately, this was also the only explanation he wouldn't accept. Nick was sure about it.

"In one week, I will leave the city for the next six month and join the Zootopia Police Academy to become an officer. So, that's it. Now it's out," Nick said and observed his oldest friends in front of him.

What followed was the purest silence Nick had ever witnessed in this house. Badger and Pete were so shocked that they seemed as if they wanted to leave the room immediately. Finnick however just stood there and started a slowly growing laughter. The eerie sound echoed through the small building and eventually also to the neighbors.

"You fucking snitch, are you already wired to sell us to the cops or your little bunny detective?" Finnick said to Nick, his voice was still calm, but Nick could already sense the anger of the desert fox.

Badger and Pete, who were for the first time confronted with the idea that a friend could work for the force and against them, looked at Nick with an accusatory gaze. Nick felt worse with every minute that passed.

"I'm not, and I would never sell you to the cops. Why would I do that? You are my friends, goddammit!"

Nick's voice slowly started to get louder. It was unintentionally, and he didn't even recognize it immediately.

"I don't know maybe your little bunny girl promised you something, only she can give you? Something where both of you have to be naked! Come on, admit it Nick, you just wanted to get in her pants," Finnick shouted through the living room directly at his old friend. Those accusations were too much for Nick.

"Watch your mouth Finnick; it was her idea that I became her partner in the force and I like the idea, okay?"

"Oh I'm sorry, so you promised her something from yourself!? Interesting, maybe she wants in your pants as well?" Finnick said in a sarcastic voice, and even chuckling a little bit.

"I said watch your mouth Finnick, I mean it . . . But do you know what? I'm done with you, and I was just here to tell you this. So goodbye Mr. Taylor," Nick shouted back at him but he couldn't see in his grin and gaze. For Finnick this story wasn't over. Right now, Nick just wanted to get out of that room and even more out of that house.

"STOP RIGHT THERE, NICKY BOY!"

Finnick suddenly screamed, his rough voice echoing through the whole building. Nick had already a small idea of what would come next. The little fox knew him well. Nick stopped, his back to the small fox, but his ears pointed towards the desert fox.

"I know why you are doing this, don't fool me, Nicky, I know it because I know you," Finnick said with a smirk.

"What? What are you talking about?" Nick replied annoyed and without turning back to the other mammals in the room.

"You, Nicholas Wilde, never do anything without reason. The risk is too high and not enough money in the game for a job; you drop it! The risks you would face when you become a cop are incredibly high. You can be shot, stabbed or some other shit. That's not the fox I know," Finnick said, and Nick could see how the smirk on his face became even more prominent.

"Finnick stop it . . . ," Nick said and hoped Finnick would listen to him, but as Nick looked up to the ceiling and waited for an answer, he came to a sudden realization – Finnick wouldn't stop, he would go on with this till the bitter end and maybe even further.

"But you will become a cop," Finnick said and grinned at Nick. Pete and Badger looked alternating at the desert fox or the red fox, unsure if they should interfere or wait.

"Finnick . . . Please stop it," Nick replied almost pleading for Finnick to not go on.

"And the only time I saw you do something reckless, where you stand in for another mammal without thinking of your own life, was when Patty was in danger. And boy, you got beaten up pretty bad back then. But you saved her, you draw all the attention to yourself and your Mum could save you at the last moment but how much did you pay for that decision? How long was your stay in the hospital? Mmmh Nick? Tell me!"

Nick stopped answering because he knew that it was pointless to argue with Finnick at this moment and he saw no meaning in bringing up old memories. For now, Nick stood only in the door frame and waited for it to be over.

"But this time you don't get into a brawl, and that's it. You are about to change your whole goddamn life! Just because of one fucking mammal. You can lie to yourself but not to me. You love her! You fucking love her man! A bunny! What the fuck is wrong with you Nick?" Finnick shouted and spat on the ground before him. Nick's eyes went wide when he heard those words from him. Silence reigned in the living room.

'You fucking love her man,' Nick's mind replayed the words over and over until everything went silent in his head. For some seconds he just stared at the desert fox in front of him. Until this moment, he himself hadn't realized what he felt. But when he thought back to it for a moment, he had to admit that there was more than just friendship between them, at least from his side. How couldn't he seen all of this? Was he blind? Probably blind of love, but still the daily meetings, spending so much time together, the funfair, the decision to join her in the ZPD without any second thoughts and now this here.

But he had nothing but a hint what he really felt and hearing the words from someone else, it made Nick speechless for a moment, him the silver tongue seducer of Zootopia.

"It...It is not just that!" Nick said and turned back to Finnick. The red fox could see the smile of a winner on his oldest friend. Nick hated this grin; it never meant something good.

"I knew it! I fucking knew it!" Finnick roared towards Nick.

A brief moment of silence, but Nick knew it was now his time to speak. He was at a point now, where he couldn't control himself. The moment he opened his muzzle, he was screaming the words he had kept for so long in his mind to Finnick, but the desert fox didn't even flinch. Nick was for a long time tired of the daily hustles but he didn't know what he should do instead or how he would explain it to Finnick.

"So what? Do you think I want to live on like that? That I want to hustle until I die? That I want to achieve nothing in my life? Should I live just for myself and the damned money like you? I have more than enough; it is even so much that I don't know what to do with it. I wanted to give it to Patty, but she doesn't need it. I wanted to give it to my mother, but she didn't accept it because she knew from where it came from. Now I'm standing here with all that money, and I don't know what to do with it. Suddenly and out of nowhere this little bunny appeared and showed me that you could accomplish greater things than the ones others see in you. Judy taught me that it is possible to be more. I know that it will be painful, but I will continue on this path!"

"You are stupid Nick when you think that they will ever accept ya!" Finnick replied with crossed arms in front of his chest.

"Why not? Because I am a fox?" Nick asked provokingly.

"Yeah! Because you're a damned fox and a hustler! You're a criminal, Nick, and on the other side of the law. Do you think that just because one little bunny acknowledges you, the whole world will? Get over yourself!" Finnick snarled with an angry look on his face.

"No, but it's a beginning, and besides that, I don't need more than this little bunny to believe in me," Nick stated and realized that he wouldn't get any approval from his oldest friend.

"Tell me, Nick, do you want to get just into her pants or are you really in love with her?"

The conversation was leading to nothing but new trouble, and Nick knew it, but he had no idea what he could do to change that.

"That's none of your business . . . ," Nick said and turned around. He had finally enough of the insults.

"Not my business? We were partners and friends for years! And now this shit! All of a sudden! Just because of her! You're nothing but an egoistic traitor, Wilde! Do you know that?" Nick could hear not just anger and frustration from the small fox's voice, there was something else, but he couldn't exactly say what it was and right now Nick didn't care for what feelings Finnick brought to act like this. He had gone too far.

"Oh, so we were friends? That's an interesting choice of words, Finnick, but shouldn't friends support each other, no matter what? Come on, tell me who is truly the one who thinks of himself and nobody else? You know that you can achieve nothing on the streets without me!" The words left Nick's mouth, but he instantly regretted them. For a short moment, the mouths of Badger, Pete and Finnick stood wide open.

"Fuck you, Wilde! Ya know what? Don't you ever come back here! Go home to your bunny, you goddamn traitor and prey fucker . . ." Finnick shouted in pure anger. Nick could see how his old friend clenched his fists and as it seemed Finnick was ready to bring this conflict to a new stage.

With this words out in the room, Nick had had enough. Finnick was standing two meters away, and Nick closed the gap between them quickly. His face distorted by anger. The punch he served Finnick on the muzzle forced the desert fox off his feet.

Nick was raging internally, and at this moment he didn't care what would happen to his old friend. But he knew one thing for sure; you didn't leave a fight with Finnick Taylor so easily. The desert fox was half Nick's size, but nobody who had ever been in a fist fight with him had forget it – ever.

Blood was trickling down Finnick's nose, and a smile appeared on the face of the small predator. He was not beaten, the desert fox hadn't even begun to fight.

Right back on his feet, Finnick was ready to punch back at Nick. He was fast for his short legs; the first punch landed on Nick's knee which brought him down on Finnick's level. The second blow was even harder and hit Nick with full force in his left eye. Nick knew instantly that this one would be black for a while.

At this moment Nick felt how somebody dragged him from behind, and away from Finnick. It was Pete who intervened and tried to end the fight between the friends. Nick's smaller but strong enemy was also dragged away from the middle of the room. Badger had his arms wrapped around Finnick, but that didn't stop him from throwing a tantrum.

"Let me go, Badger! I want to teach this traitor a lesson! I said let go!" Finnick screamed and kicked around him, but Badger didn't loosen his grip. He replied calmly to the desert fox, "Listen, Fin, I don't like Nicky plans, and I don't want that he leave us . . . but it's his decision . . ."

Pete, who had let go of Nick and stood now beside him, glanced with a sorrowful gaze up at his old friend but remained silent. Nick knew that he had brought them in a critical situation, but he wouldn't go back on his word to Judy.

"On which side are you standing! Tell me, Badger!" Finnick screamed at the mammal, that still held him tight.

"I'm on both sides because you are both my friends," Badger said calm and even with some sorrow in his voice. Finnick couldn't hear it, all he could do was to continue screaming, and Nick understood that it was over. There wasn't a we anymore, just a they and a me.

"It's okay guys. I'm leaving. I know when I'm no longer welcome. Pete, Badger I'm sorry that it ended like this. If you ever need something, call me. Finnick I hope one day you will accept my de . . . " Nick began to speak, but he couldn't finish, Finnick's tantrum was still ongoing, and he knew that it would be a while till it ends.

"Go fuck yourself; I have nothing more to say to a traitor like you!"

With this words in Nick's mind, he turned around and headed for the door. He had now to accept that this chapter of his life was over and that Finnick would not rethink his opinion in the next days. Silently, Nick closed the door and heard the last curse from Finnick towards him.

"Get the fuck outta here Nick. You traitor!"

'It hurts and that not even physically . . . okay, yes my eye hurt too but that was not the point.' Nick thought and stood for a moment on the lawn of Badger's property. A deep sigh escaped his muzzle.

'They were my oldest friends, we did everything together and now this. I remember how we celebrated our birthdays, our first scams on other mammals and the first 1,000 dollars we 'earned' in one night in a casino. We did everything together, and we never let anyone down. The more I think about it, the more it hurts to see what the money and anger did to Finnick. I understand Badger and Pete, they need the cash to survive but I know Finnick has more than enough, besides he doesn't need most of the money, I mean he lives in a damn van. Badger took care of his sick sister, and Pete had to supply a whole family with his income. But him? He has nobody, Only ...me. Damn Nick, why now? I hate it when I realize something like this too late.' Nick thought and shook his head. He had to clear this up at one point but not now. Finnick had to come down, and Nick knew this would take time. A lot of time.

'The things I do for love,' Nick remembered a quote but couldn't say from where it was. Now with the truth in front of him, all the things he did felt no longer so crazy. For a moment he even found it rational that he acted like a mad mammal. But wasn't being in love like madness? A small grin flashed over his face but disappeared as soon as the sunshine touched his face. Nick realized how hard Finnick had hit him. His left eye was swollen and the knee sent from time to time little shivers of pain through his entire body.

'Thanks, buddy. This pain will keep you in my mind for a while.' Nick thought and watched how a mother deer and her kit walked on the sidewalk and talked about the next school year of the little one. They were so caught in their conversation, that they didn't even saw the messed up fox, standing beside them in a front yard, his left eye slowly taking on the color and size of a plum.

'One point clear and another two to go.' Nick thought bitterly to himself and put his sunglasses back on before he considered his next move. The first that came to his mind was to call Judy. Nick had almost forgotten how it was to have a crush on someone. You just had to close your eyes, think of the person and . . . You just felt better. It was like magic and right now Nick needed nothing more than some magic to make him feel better.

He would have liked nothing more than to hear her voice right now. However, the red fox also knew that it was a bad idea to do this in front of the house where he had just had a fight. Nick started to move and walked at least three blocks from Badger's house before he dared to pull out his phone. A last glance around him before Nick started to search for her number.

'So let's see Judy, . . . There is her entry, and right now it is 12:23 pm and she hopefully has lunch now. Let's hear what her sweet little voice has to say,' Nick thought and waited to hear her voice. After the fourth time of ringing, she finally picked up her phone.

"Hey there, Whiskers. How are you doing?" Nick asked bright and happy to Judy.

"Oh hey Nick, I . . . I said stay down and be quiet!" Judy shouted out of the phone and Nick had to hold it for a moment as far away from his sensible ear as possible.

For a moment Nick just stared at his phone in his stretched out paw and slowly realized that Judy seemed to have caught a criminal. Chuckling about the idea, that Judy had on her first day back at the force already caught a criminal.

"Sorry Nick, I didn't mean you! I caught a thief and wait now for backup to bring him to the station."

"What did you catch? Another Weasel?" Nick said with a chuckle, but his laughter died when Judy went on with her explanation and told him the species

"No, it's a cheetah who thought it is a good idea to steal from other mammals and then run away from the police!" Nick could swear he heard the smile on her face.

As the sentence was going on she was getting louder and louder, apparently to teach the cheetah a lesson. How could a bunny take down a cheetah? Nick tried desperately to understand but couldn't find an answer, so he did what he always did when there was no answer for him, he cracked a joke.

"So he was not playing fair, heh?" Nick said and chuckled at his joke.

"Har har, Mr. Wilde," Judy answered in a sarcastic but playful tone.

"Come on Carrot, I can hear that you are smiling right now," Nick replied fast, and the short silence told him that he was right.

"Anyhow . . . What do you want, Slick?" Judy asked, and Nick could hear the clicking of Judy's handcuffs through the phone. For a moment Nick wasn't longer so sure if it was the best time to call Judy, but he rejected the idea very fast.

"Can't I call my favorite bunny while I suspect her eating lunch? Probably a salad with a lot of carrot pieces for your good work today?" Nick asked teasingly. This time came just a sigh as a reply and Nick almost knew that she would roll her eyes.

"Okay, okay. Just listen, I have a meeting with some relatives this evening, and I wanted to ask if you want to join me? You know every handsome guy should have a beauty at his side. So, what do you say, Carrots?" A short silence came from the other side of the phone. Judy thought about this proposition and tried to ignore the compliment as best as she could. At least Nick knew that she would try it.

"O-of course . . . Can you pick me up at six from the Precinct?" Judy sounded nervous, but that was everything he wanted to know.

"It will be a pleasure to pick you up today. Bye Carrots." Nick replied with a smirk on his face and quit the connection before Judy could even start to ask questions. Things like that would always make her curious.

Maybe a bad start for a day but it seemed to be getting better. Nick's body was ready for some painkillers and sleep, in that order.

* * *

 **Judy**

* * *

It might have been just patrolling on the streets of Savannah Central, but for Judy, it was way better than writing some tedious paperwork for other officers. Besides, there was a robber on the streets, who still couldn't be caught and was on the run. It could be a massive opportunity for the young doe, but Judy saw of course more the danger for the public than any gain for herself.

The cheetah with the name Frank Turner had robbed, in the last three days, various mammals with no clear concept. He just appeared, took what he could take and disappeared as fast as he could. The perpetrator also seemed to be well-known for this kind of crimes. But since he had a job as a car mechanic, his days of crime appeared to be over. At least until now.

Strolling with her arms tucked on her back and greeting here and there some mammals, Judy was quite bored about the events until now. Bogo had told her that it is essential that she showed some presence on the streets to calm the mammals of Zootopia and showed them that the police was there for their safety. And Judy had, of course, nothing against the security of Zootopia citizen but some action would have been exactly what she needed right now.

"To all units in Savannah Central, we have a 211 on the Mary Road. The Suspect is heading east, away from the crime scene, over."

'That's not far from here . . . Finally some action.' Judy thought. With a little smile around her muzzle. The young doe was starting to move.

"Officer Hopps here. I'm one block away. I'm after him," Judy gave the information over the small walkie-talkie she had on her left shoulder to communicate with the headquarter.

"Alright Officer Hopps, please call if any backup unit is needed," Benjamin replied over the radio unit.

'Oh don't worry I will just need a ride to bring him to ZPD headquarter.' Judy thought as she went over from her jogging speed to her running gear. Concentrated on her task, Judy followed the sidewalk which headed to Mary Road. After some hundred meters, Judy could already hear screams in the distance.

The cheetah could not use his speed advantage in the dense crowd, and Judy knew there would be no straight sidewalk without obstacles or other mammals on his way. The best he could try, was to run through the masses of mammals, which slowed him down massively.

Judy, on the other paw, could easily slip through the masses and was already right behind him. There were only 20 meters that separated her from the culprit.

"Stop! In the name of the law, stop!" Judy shouted behind him.

Of course, he tried to speed up his pace as soon as he saw Judy.

"Oh no, please no!" He replied and turned to his left and headed into an alley, which she knew had no exit.

Judy was now squarely on his track and sent another call to Benjamin.

"Officer Hopps to HQ."

"HQ here, over," Benjamin replied, and sounded as if he was munching on something right now. Judy could imagine what it could be.

"Suspect is now in a side street without exit on the Mabel Pines Road. I request backup to bring the suspect back to HQ. Over."

"Request clear! Backup is on it's way over and out," Benjamin replied and ended his message.

Judy lowered her speed and headed for the alley he had turned in. This little alley had no exit, and to wait for the backup unit for take him into custody was the easiest she could do. For a moment Judy wanted to follow this plan. She leaned onto the wall and listened to the sounds that came from the small alley. But then, new sounds echoed through the small alley, and Judy could swear that she heard sobbing from where the suspect was. She wasn't sure and concentrated even more on the sounds around her.

'Those were sobs! What is going on?' Judy asked herself and peeked with her head around the corner, inspecting the alley with her own eyes. No sign of any mammal. A mammal needed help and no matter if they were a criminal or an ordinary citizen, she would definitely help him.

"Frank Turner, paws above your head. Don't make it more complicated for any of us!"

Again, Judy heard a distant sounding voice, that replied whinny to her.

"...I can't…, "

Judy entered the little street with the small gun in both of her paws. Five meters into the road she could see only two huge walls leading to a dead end, there were still some card boxes, ledges and an old car behind which he could be, but until then no sign of the cheetah. Something hit the ground right behind Judy.

It wasn't loud, but her ears were sensible enough to recognize it. She knew that it could only be Frank. Quick, Judy turned around and held already the finger over the trigger of her gun, ready to act. In the same second, she wanted to shoot with the paralyzing munition; the Cheetah knocked her weapon out of her paws. With anger in his voice, he shouted at her.

"Can't you leave me alone? I need to save her!"

'Okay, that's it. I'm dead. Just execute the order in the handbook Judy, and everything would be fine Judy, but no you want to do everything on your own.' Judy thought but remembered something, a hold hustle from Nick. It was cheesy and maybe not working, but again she thought, 'Yeah Maybe . . . Let's try it.'

"You have to know one thing Frank, I'm no danger to you, he is!"

Judy pointed in the direction right behind him, and to her luck, he fell for it. Quickly, she jumped against the wall on the right site to strengthen her attack. With both of her legs Judy pushed herself from the wall and hit him with her right foot directly on his temple with a loud 'knack'-noise. Not even a whole seconds and Frank fainted from the hard blow he had received. Additional to Judy's hard kick, Frank smashed with his head against the wall. Without hesitation, Judy gathered her gun but didn't let the cheetah out of her sight.

'You did it, Girl! But without Nick's slyness, I would be dead by now or at least injured. Ah, never mind, I did it, that's what counts,' Judy thought to herself and smiled about the caught criminal.

Checking if everything was okay, Judy stretched her foot, but it looked good. She had no pain and no swollen ankle. From Frank the Cheetah, on the other paw, came just grunting noises, but at least he seemed to be okay.

Judy felt that she needed to calm down and so she ambled in front of him up and down, mostly just writing notes down for her report. After five minutes, Frank came slowly back to the land of the conscious mammals.

A sudden vibration from her right pocket dragged her out of her work and back into reality. It was a call from Nick. With a smile, she took the call and tucked her phone between shoulder and long ear.

"Hey there whiskers. How are you doing?"

"Oh hey Nick, I . . . I said stay down and be quiet!"

Frank started to move and talk, at the worst possible time. But he understood fast that he couldn't do anything against the handcuffs. He kept his voice down and started calmly to cry again.

"Sorry Nick, I didn't mean you! I caught a thief and wait now for backup to bring him to the station."

"What did you caught, Carrots? Another weasel?"

'A weasel. Sure Nick, just bigger. Play it cool, Judy, you can also have your fun with him,' Judy thought and smiled about the possibility of fooling Nick with the truth and imagining his face right now.

"No, it's a cheetah who thought it would be a good idea to steal from other mammals and then run away from the police!"

Frank just looked at Judy with a sad gaze and turned his eyes back to the red brick wall in front of him. In front of Frank's snout flew little clouds of dust up in the air with every breath that left his muzzle.

"So, he was not playing fair?" Nick replied. The doe imagined how Nick stood somewhere in Zootopia and grinned like a little kit.

Judy knew he would make a joke and she thought this one was not that bad. To be honest, he had made much worse ones in the past.

"Har har, Mr. Wilde," Judy replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Come on Carrots, I can hear that you are smiling right now," Nick replied.

'That sneaky devil! How could he know? Maybe we have spent already too much time together.' Judy thought and bit down on her bottom lip.

"Can't I call my favorite bunny while I suspect her eating lunch? Probably a salad with a lot of carrot pieces for your good work today?" Nick asked.

Judy didn't respond, for a moment she stood still and stomped rapidly with her right feet on the ground. After some seconds Nick seemed to understand the message and continued.

"Okay, okay. Just listen, okay Fluff? I have a meeting with some relatives this evening, and I wanted to ask if you want to join me? You know every handsome guy should have a beauty at his side. So, what do you say, Carrots?"

"O-of course . . . Can you pick me up at six from the Precinct?"

"It will be a pleasure to pick you up today. By Carrots." Nick replied, and this time, Nick could almost hear him grinning on the other side of the phone.

'Wait! Did he say, relatives? What for relatives? Mother? Father? Or maybe some of his siblings? One? Two? Maybe more?... Judy, calm down. You are overreacting,' the gray doe thought and exhaled deeply. After some some controlled breaths, Judy got the emotional part of her mind a little bit back under control and remembered that her primary duty laid still on the ground. She took a quick look at Frank, but his state seemed unchanged. Judy decided to make a quick call to HQ, to distract herself from the long wait.

"HQ, here Officer Hopps. 10-95. How long till backup arrives?"

"Officer Hopps, here HQ - 10 more minutes, they have to handle an 11-81," Benjamin replied from the Precinct one.

'A traffic accident with minor injuries, hopefully everyone involved is okay,' Judy thought and massaged for a moment her temples. For her it was just another way to clear her mind and focus on the task that laid before her, but it was difficult when her mind tried to sneak in a certain red furred mammal in every second thought she had.

"No problem, Ben, over and out," Judy said and touched her cheeks, they were still burning like coals in a fire, and she hoped her blush would be gone until the backup unit was here. The daily talk was already too often about her; there was no need for more theories from the other officers.

After a last deep exhale, Judy could finally find some control over her muddled mind. At least some, it didn't matter how much she tried to think about something else, her mind always drifted back to Nick and his plans for that evening.

Frank, who still laid on his stomach since Judy had left him there, had turned his head to the gray bunny and looked pleading up to her.

"You are Officer Judy Hopps. The first bunny Officer and the one who saved the City from Major Bellwether, right?" Frank asked as if he couldn't believe who she was.

A light blush flashed again over her face, but Judy tried not to show too much of her emotions. He was covered in dust, and just now Judy saw, that he was still wearing his blue mechanic overall.

"Yes, how can I help you?"

"P-Please Miss Hopps, I need your help," The cheetah was now almost crying. Judy tried to answer him without looking too much into his eyes.

"I can't let you go if that's it what you want," Judy said and looked in the direction of the main street, awaiting for the backup team to arrive at any second. Or maybe it was more what she hoped it would.

"I know that you can't let me go. But please the life of my sister depends on it."

Judy was confused. What had his sister to do with this? She could leave it be and move on, but that wouldn't be what Judy Hopps would do. Judy could follow just one way all her life, and that way always led deeper into the problems of other mammals.

"What do you mean with the life of your sister? What happened to her?" Judy asked and cursed herself for being so caring.

"I don't know everything myself, I received three days ago a letter, and that is when this whole thing started," Frank replied, and Judy saw that he no longer looked at her, it was more as if he looked through her.

"What did the letter say?"

Frank's sobbing was getting worse with every minute, but Judy could still understand every word that he said.

"It said that . . . Oh damn, I should collect 10,000 $ and deposit it on a certain place. But it didn't tell me where and when to deposit it. There would be another letter. But it also said, that if I told anybody about this, they would kill my sister instead. "

"Do you have the letter?" Judy asked carefully

"No, I lost it."

'Great and now, we are back to zero. I have no evidence, just a story, and Frank's word. The word of a caught criminal. Maybe I should hear him out but what would that bring,' Judy thought about the various possibilities that laid before her.

Frank, however, returned to his state of uncontrollable sobbing and crying. She needed him to keep his mind together in order to tell her more. Perhaps it was just a good lie, but Judy wanted to hear it.

"Frank, could you please concentrate and tell me what was written in the letter?" Judy asked and tried to sound as friendly and convincing as possible.

"I can remember every word on that damn piece of paper. I-It started like this, " Frank said and closed his eyes. He tried to concentrate on remembering the things that stood in that letter.

"Dear Mr. Turner,

to make it short, we have your sister Laura Turner in our custody.

If you want her back, then collect 10,000 $, you have two days for this task.

Some hours before our game ends, we will give you the exact location and time, to deposit the money.

If you talk to anyone about this letter or your sister to any other mammal, she will be executed. If you don't believe us, the enclosed video should be evidence enough that we are not joking.

P.S.: Of course you will stay under surveillance during this time."

Judy was shocked, and the thoughts and assumptions started instantly to grow in her mind,'How could that be? And who would do something like this? Okay, Judy calm down, remember it could also be a lie. When thinking about it, why would somebody do something like that? It sounds almost like the plot to a thriller movie, keep thinking, how high is the possibility that even this happens to you after you cracked the Bellwether case?'

Before Judy could deepen her thoughts about the facts Frank gave her, she heard a voice from behind her. The sound of it was rough and not very friendly.

"Officer Hopps? We are here to pick up the suspect. Are you ready?"

Judy turned around and saw two old and tired looking police Officers gazing at her and the suspect. A gray wolf, who looked like the type that already had seen too much in his life and a Capricorn, who will soon reach the same stage of apathy as his partner.

"Yes, Officer…?" Judy asked because she couldn't read the name tags of the officers correctly.

"Oh sorry where are my manners? Officer Johnson and Officer McRoy. We were the nearest unit to pick him up. Officer Delgato and Fangmeyer will be here in some minutes, to pick you up and bring you to the Precinct One," Officer Johnson, the wolf said with a fake smile on his face, that he had probably trained for the last 20 years of his career.

"Thank you, Officers. Mr. Turner, I will rethink your case and come to you as soon as I find something strange. It could take a while, okay?" Judy said and saw how the Cheetah she caught slowly nodded.

The two Officers exchanged a glance at each other that Judy couldn't interpret, but she also didn't want to ask, not as the still new one in the force.

Frank was nervous but accepted the ride to ZPD. It was not like there was any other chance for him. The Wolf and the Capricorn took him to the police car and drove away. After two and a half minutes arrived Fangmeyer and Delgado finally, at the entrance of the dead end to pick the gray bunny up.

"So Judy tell us, how did you get him," Fangmeyer asked interested from the co-driver seat and smiled back at Judy, as soon as I sat in the back of the cruiser and put on my seat belt.

"Oh, It was quite simple when I think about it. He tried to run between the huge crowd of mammals, which slowed him massively down but I had no problem to get through and reached him pretty fast. Because, you know I'm smaller, and he had no free space to use his advantage," Judy said to Fangmeyer but not without some of proud in her voice.

"Not bad little bunny," Fangmeyer replied and nodded in appreciation. Afterward, he took a quick glance over to his partner, one I could not wholly categorize. Judy bet that Nick would have known what it meant.

"But how do you got him? We heard you chased him into the alley but what then? Did you use your gun?" Delgado asked, this time it was his turn to question the suspect and get more information, Judy thought to herself. He looked at the bunny from time to time, through the rear mirror.

"No, I was able to trick him and kicked him unconscious," Judy replied and couldn't hide a little smile, while she watched out of the window.

Both Officers looked at each other and started to laugh hysterically. After a short moment, during which both tried to collect some breath, Fangmeyer, who wiped a tear from his eye, turned himself back to Judy and asked again.

"Okay Judy, what happened really?"

The gray doe grinned at him and spoke slowly.

"I tricked him; he fell for it. Then I jumped to the wall to have more strength in my kick and boom knocked him down. You know, it's called a hustle sweethearts," Judy explained and left two confused predators who, the next time, would think twice when it came to training sessions if they would choose the small and innocent bunny as their opponent.

Fangmeyer smile slowly disappeared as he realized that Judy told him the truth and not some elaborated tale about what had really happened. He turned back to his partner, mostly to signal him that this whole story was real and no hoax. The time went by, but there were still some questions about Frank Turner on Judy's mind.

"How long have you guys been in the force?" Judy asked without taking her gaze from the window.

Both looked at each other for a short moment about the question. It was again Fangmeyer who talked to her.

"Well, this year it will be 12 years in the force. Why do you ask?" Fangmeyer replied and concentrated on a group of mammals, on which they passed by right now.

"Do you know the criminal I caught? And if so, what do you know about him," Judy asked carefully. Both exchanged another glance at each other. Delgado who was still driving sighed deeply and said to Fangmeyer," Tell her, she caught him and she will hear his story sooner or later anyhow."

"Which story?" Judy asked confused. Fangmeyer nodded and crossed his arms in front of him.

"Judy, whatever this guy has told you, don't believe it. His state of mind is not the best, to put it this way. Every time he was caught in the past, he told the officers the same story. He started to talk about a letter, continues that someone kidnapped his sister, and he had just two days to get 10,000 $ and so on, and so on. But the simple and painful truth is, his sister disappeared at the age of fourteen, and no one could find her. Maybe she ran away or followed her big love; I don't know. For Frank, who was always a little bit labile, was this the moment, where he finally broke and started to tell the story," Fangmeyer said and watched a group of schoolkids on the sidewalk, and what they were doing. As he saw that no crime was committed, he turned his gaze back to the front.

"Why do you think he tells this story?" Judy asked the two predators. It was again Fangmeyer who replied, Delgado seemed to be more the quiet type.

"Maybe to have an explanation? Maybe he wanted to soothe himself? I don't know Judy . . . but he will never be the same again." Fangmeyer said and continued watching the street in front of him.

"How many years have passed since?"

Judy asked with an almost sad voice, she knew now that he had lied to her, but she also felt bad for him and the loss of his sister. Judy didn't even want to imagine what would happen if she was to loose one of her siblings – Jess, Jimmy, his mate Cathy or anyone else.

"Eleven years have passed since then. You know, Judy, Frank is not a bad mammal, just a little bit touched in the head. And you will see Judy, he will be some month in prison and sooner or later he will be back on the streets, and you'll have to catch him again. It's like the guy in the old story, who had to roll a stone up a hill as a punishment, to see it roll down again, as soon as he reached the top . . . What was his name? Man, I'm bad with such things . . . Sisy . . . No . . . ," Fangmeyer started but couldn't remember the name completely. A good thing he had his silent but reliable partner Delgado, "Sisyphus was his name, Fang."

"Exactly! Thanks, man! Well Judy, maybe Frank Turner will be your stone?" Fangmeyer said and gave Judy a wink. He turned back to the streets. The last part of the ride passed in silence. Just some small interruptions from the radio broke the calm for once.

"Maybe," Judy replied but remained silent for the last minutes of the drive, thinking about the Cheetah, his lost sister and what she would do in his position.

As soon as Judy entered the Precinct one, her mood lifted tremendously, mostly because of the thought that she could spend the evening with Nick. The thought about the fox put a smile on her face.

'Come on Judy don't judge him, he wants that you're part of his life, that is . . . Romantic . . . Somehow? And here we go again, get this idea out of your head he is just nice to you and a friend nothing more. But maybe he wants to be more; I mean who gives a friend an invitation to relatives? I don't know...maybe a dumb fox?' Judy thought and ended her inner dialogue.

Judy took both of her paws to her temples and started slowly to massage them. There were too many things in her head right now. Only, that wasn't true; there was just one thing on her mind. This one thought was on an endless loop, but she couldn't find an answer to it. It was one question, which was at the same time incredibly hard and easy to answer – What was Nick for her? Fru was right, sooner or later she had to ask him.

They arrived at 4:12 pm in the ZPD headquarters and Judy headed directly to her office. There she wrote her report, finished it in almost thirty minutes and had enough time to jog away some of her thoughts and to relax under a hot shower. Frank, however, was brought right into prison because of his police records, so there was nothing for Judy to investigate or do at the moment. Even with nothing more to do, her broken promise to Frank left a bitter taste, which she didn't like.

Fresh and clean, Judy stood in front of the ZPD building looking at her phone which stated that the actual time was 5:56 pm. Judy wore a light and white summer dress; it was nothing too fancy just a white dress with some floral ornaments at the edge of the skirt. Judy loved it since the day she saw it and bought it. She always thought that it highlighted perfectly were she came from, as a young and pure-hearted girl from the countryside, who tries to conquer the big world.

The time was now one minute before six, and there he came. Today in a different outfit, he looked in this even more handsome than before. Nick wore a white shirt with sleeves up to his paws, above that a black vest and a red tie. On top of that, he had some classic black pants and of course his characteristic sunglasses.

Nick saw Judy immediately, and with a smile on his muzzle, he walked over to her. Like always, Judy wasn't prepared for what he had planned. He bowed down a little bit in front of her, took Judy's right paw and gave her a little hand kiss. The gray doe blushed and hoped that it wasn't too noticeable.

From behind the two, they heard Clawhauser yelling over to them. He was just on his way home, as he spotted them on the side of the entrance to the Precinct One. Judy could hear the curiosity in his voice and sighed already over the talk he would cause with this in the Precinct One tomorrow morning.

"O-M-Goodness, I hope you two will also be so cute when you work together," Benjamin shouted while he waved over to them.

This time Nick and Judy shouted almost perfectly synchronized back at him, "Benjamin, you used the c-word again!"

"You two will never stop me, from using it. Shoot me or live with it!" The slightly overweight cheetah yelled and walked with waving arms in direction of the next tram station. Judy and Nick couldn't take their gaze from him. Both chuckled while they watched him vanish into a crowd of other mammals.

As soon as Clawhauser was nowhere to be seen, Nick turned with his smirk to Judy. For a moment it seemed as if Nick watched the bunny from head to toe and tried to burn the image of her in his mind.

"So little Lady, are you ready or do you have some more gangster to imprison?" Nick said with his typical grin.

"Ah, I think I and the prison have reached its limits for today," Judy replied and giggled slightly, cupping her muzzle with her right paw.

Together they started heading towards the nearest tram station. Nick navigated them through the thick crowd of mammals, where most of them just wanted to be home after a long day at work and led Judy to the Tram with the number thirteen. Together they sat at a place for two, Judy at the window and Nick beside her. After a while, Judy recognized that their final destination seemed to be a part of the town with the name Bell's Kitchen. It was a part of the city where Judy had never been before and also a place where lived mammals that had not such a high stand in society or at least that was what she assumed.

But Judy thought it was a beautiful place, she liked it here, even if she couldn't precisely say why. It was more of a feeling. What she saw were mostly older buildings which were not so high, and all painted in different bright colors.

"I like it here, Nick. Is that where you grew up?" Judy asked, her ears were high up and ready not to miss any information he would give her.

"Yep, that's right, Whiskers. This is Bell's Kitchen, the district of Zootopia where I lived as a small fox." Nick said and sounded sad when he spoke those words, and Judy asked herself what he remembered, that made him sound like this.

However, he also got her curiosity. This part of the town was the place where little Nick Wilde started. Nothing could be more away than this from Judy's life in Bunny Burrow. Small parks, a lot of buildings, no green and almost too many rundown houses.

"Okay, why Bell's Kitchen? Isn't that a strange name?" Judy asked and turned her head from the window back to Nick.

He smiled again and started a lecture hour to teach her a thing or two about the history of Zootopia.

"Thirty years ago, in a rough and bloody era of this district, this part of the city was called Malice. In this part also lived a mobster queen with name Elisabeth Bell, she was famous because of her notorious lifestyle and bloody excesses. But she was also popular with the local population. She protected them, like their own family. They changed the name of this part of the city into Bell's Kitchen, ten years after her death."

Judy liked when Nick did this, he wasn't like a teacher who wanted to show you sometimes how much more he knew than you nor did he wanted to impress her. Judy felt that his only intention was to share his past with her so that the gray doe could better understand the red fox.

The sun went slowly down, but Nick kept his sunglasses on. Judy was already thinking about possible reasons why he would do that when she saw his wounded eye.

"Nick! Why do you have a black eye? What happened?" Judy asked shocked. Nick looked embarrassed but didn't seem to lie as he spoke.

"Like you proposed, I talked to my old partners in 'almost' crime. And one of them didn't like what I had to say, and I didn't like what he had to say. So he did something foolish, and I punched him, and he punched back . . . End of story." Nick said and thought the topic would be closed.

"Nick when I said it would be good to clear up your past, I didn't know that it would be so . . . Painful. I'm sorry." Judy replied and rubbed her paws together in embarrassment.

'I'm a horrible friend, it was my idea, and he just tried his best to follow my lead. Maybe, I shouldn't have brought up that idea in the first place,' Judy thought and looked embarrassed up to him.

"Oh god Nick, I am so sorry," Judy said.

"Don't think about it Carrots, it's all fine now. Besides, the hardest part of this job is over, well let's say the part where it can get physically painful. And besides, this would have happened sooner or later anyway, so no need to break your pretty little head over something like this," Nick replied and tried to soothe Judy with a smile.

He could try to soothe the gray bunny as much as he wanted, but it was her mistake, or at least this was what she thought, and she also knew that this whole clean-cut thing wasn't over. Again began the thoughts in Judy's head to circle.

'Nick said part one of three. Maybe this meeting now was another part of the task, that I, the stupid bunny, gave him. Why do I have to hurt him over and over again? Or ask yourself, Judy, why does he endure all of this?' Judy thought and questioned her actions and then again his. She calmed down, but she was not happy with the result Nick presented her.

They both looked out of the window as they drove by a church with a massive crowd around it. It seemed that there was a wedding in process. There was also a deer in a beautiful white dress, surrounded by a lot of other mammals and a groom who was dressed in an elegant black suit. All of them were cheering and congratulating.

Judy took a quick look at Nick, and for a second she saw an unbelievable tired and sad face, she didn't know what he exactly thought but it had something to do with the wedding. She laid her paw above his, and his face lit up a bit. But after realizing whose paw it was, he quickly returned to his former self.

'Judy don't forget it, you are just friends nothing more. I need to change the topic, or I need a cold shower for, . . . I need to calm down. Right now, is no time to ask him.' Judy thought and had to clear her throat, or her voice would break in the middle of the sentence.

"So Nick, you still haven't told me the most important thing, who do we visit?" Judy asked with a smile.

"Oh sorry, I forgot to tell you," Nick lied; obviously. He didn't even try to hide it and he even widened his grin further when Judy asked.

"Don't lie. You didn't say it because you didn't want to." Judy replied, but she was not angry.

"Sly bunny. I didn't want to make you nervous, long before we were here. We take the next stop," Nick said and stood slowly up from his seat but offered Judy a paw to help her up.

Both walked without exchanging any words until they reached the sidewalk. Now Judy was curious and a little bit nervous about where they were going exactly.

After a while, Nick continued his explanation. He also seemed to be a little bit nervous now. Or was this just Judy's imagination?

"You know, I made a lot of mistakes in my past, Carrots, and I'm not proud of them. But as you said, before I start all over, I should try to clear everything up," Nick said, and his nervousness was now undeniable, even his paws seemed to shaken a bit.

"I like that you are following my idea, Nick, but I never thought it could be so brutal and I hope it doesn't hurt so much. I hope the next meeting will be less painful? By the way, to whom are we driving?" Judy asked, but she wasn't ready for the upcoming answer.

"It will not be physically painful, but we will eat dinner with my mom and my sister," Nick answered and watched carefully how Judy would react.

"Oh, okay," Judy replied calm, but this was just the answer she spoke out. Her mind was going on red alert.

'What? Why are you telling me this now? I'm not wearing the right dress, or am I? Oh god, this will be a disaster. I never was with a guy and his family. Or a guy at all . . . And why is Nick so nervous? He is never nervous or panicked. What is going on here?'

"Judy, don't worry. They are both fine mammals . . . Crazy . . . But somehow lovable. I'm sure you'll like them, I mean you can put up with me," Nick said, and Judy hoped it was one of his jokes, but something told her, that this wasn't one. However, what he said made her calmer, not completely quiet, but she was no longer an internal screaming jitterbug.

'Damned! I have no fear in front of criminals, but I go almost crazy in front of two vixens,' Judy thought in a mild panic attack.

"I-I'm sure they are," Judy said and hoped what she had said was true. For a moment she watched just the pavement in front of her.

Nick nodded to the next house in front of them and stopped in front of the small stairway to a two-story, red painted, brick stone building. They both stood there like a shy couple before their first meeting with the parents-in-law. Right now Judy thought if it was better to do this really or to return and maybe watch a movie on the couch.

"Here we go. Are you ready, Carrots?" Nick asked, but he looked insecure. A rare view for the bunny.

Judy nodded to him, and Nick exhaled the last time before he pushed the doorbell.


	3. Remission

" _A life lived without forgiveness is a prison." - William Arthur Ward_

* * *

 **Judy**

* * *

Judy felt strange standing here together with Nick and waiting for somebody to open that door to his old home. Somebody that was or still is essential to him. Judy couldn't even imagine how it felt to have fear coming home to Bunny Burrow. Of course, there were also arguments in the past but never so bad that one of her siblings or Judy herself wouldn't come back.

The building was nice. A brick store building painted in wine red. Just the frame of every window was painted in white. Judy could see two floors and expected, that this house would be like all what others around here and had a flat roof. The only difference between Nick's old home and the other buildings in the neighborhood was the color. Every house was in another bright color, but Judy saw no other house painted in this red tone.

'Why is he so nervous? This was his home, and they are still his family, it's not so strange to come back home even after a long time . . . Or is it? What happened between him and his mother and sister?' Judy asked herself but knew the answer to all of this could just come from the red fox beside her.

"Nick?" Judy asked without taking her gaze from the door in front of her.

"Yes, Carrots?" Nick answered.

"Why are you so nervous?"

He was fighting with himself, and Judy saw that one part of him didn't want to speak to her about this. But Nick did, he needed his time for this but in the end, he spoke, and that made her incredibly happy.

"I have made a lot of mistakes in the past, and I was never the best son . . . You could probably say that I was a very dumb fox. See, I wanted to make my Mom and sister proud, but I failed tremendously. I see Patty from time to time but Mom . . . It's almost 3 years since I saw her the last time. This fox here beside you was too ashamed to talk to her or to look her into the eyes. She knows what I did for a living, and that made her very sorrowful."

His gaze was incredibly sad and full of shame. Never before, Judy saw someone in her life regretting what he had done so much. She understood that this was one of those things he showed only to her and no one else, it was like that moment they shared in the gondola of the Rainforest district. Judy didn't know why Nick trusted her so much, but she was grateful that he did.

"Don't worry partner, I'm behind you," Judy replied and send him a small wink. Both mammals got ready because they heard how the door slowly opened in front of them. Judy stepped back so Nick could be the first one to be seen. He was very nervous and the first thing they saw where some light green eyes and a vixen that was some years younger than Nick. Without reservations, the young vixen rushed out and took his brother in a tight hug.

"Oh jeez, Nick! We have missed you so much here at home, you can't even imagine! We also thought something happened to you two because you are late," Patty started and talked like a waterfall.

"Don't worry Patty, I have my own fluffy guardian, you see," Nick said and pointed, after the two siblings had separated from each other, down to Judy.

The over-enthusiastic vixen had some tears in her eyes, which she tried to wipe away, as fast as possible. With high interest, Judy looked at Patty while she was busy talking to her brother. The young vixen wore like Judy a dress, but hers had a creme-like color and dozen of red tulips on it. It was beautiful, and Judy asked herself instantly where she could buy something like that for herself.

"Look at me, as soon as my stupid brother is back in the house, I start to cry like a little kit . . . Jeez. But tears or not, I still look gorgeous," Patty replied with a grin, the same grin Judy knew from her older brother. More and more, Judy realized how similar they both were. The talk, the smirk, the eyes – she was a Wilde, through and through.

"Patty, I like to introduce you to someone important to me."

With this words, Nick parted from his sister and pointed with his paw over to Judy.

'He really said important . . . This dumb fox. Did he want to make me blush . . . Again?' Judy thought and felt how the heat returned to her face. She still couldn't decide if his words were just.

"Patty, I like to introduce you to Judy Hopps . . . the bunny which saved the city and of course me."

Patty was standing in front of Judy uncertain what to do. Judy bet Nick's sister didn't expect a little bunny in a white summer dress, smiling up at her. Maybe she thought of something more . . . Powerful. A big rabbit in full uniform, ready to fight an enemy or to beat down a cheetah.

"Miss Hopps. It is an honor to met you," Patty said and made a little curtsy. The smirk on her didn't vanish for a second. Pleased and amused by her behavior Judy also made a little curtsey, which Patty repaid with an even bigger smirk.

"You know what bunny, the hero of the city deserve more than a curtsey from me," Patty said and took Judy in a hug. Her head was right over the shoulder of the gray doe and faced away from Nick so that he couldn't hear them whispering.

"Thank you for helping my brother," Patty whispered into Judy's ear.

"You're welcome," Judy replied with a smile.

"Ahh, you already welcomed our guests, Patricia. A new one and a long lost son." An elderly vixen said and stood beside the wooden stairway.

All eyes went to the stairway when they heard someone approaching. Silently watched an elderly vixen the happening in the entrance area. Nick's mother was standing beside the stairway and watched them with her amber colored eyes, which almost seemed to glow in the half dark in which she stood. Nick's mother held her folded paws in front of her and looked with a gentle and knowing gaze at her son. She wore a tight dark-blue dress, and despite her age, she seemed not older than a vixen in her forties.

Nick's whole body seemed to be paralyzed. His tail stopped to wag from left to right, and everyone noticed that Nick didn't know what to do. Judy could feel that Nick panicked and she knew he needed a little push from a friend and partner. The gray doe knew this was her job. She took her left paw and slowly pushed him forward in the direction of her mother.

"Go to her Nick and say what you want to say for such a long time," Judy said, while she kept on pushing the fox towards the older vixen.

Nick started to move. Slowly and like a little cub, who walked for the first time in his life on his own two feet the proceeded his path to her. She opened her arms and waited for him to do the same, not one moment wavering in her smile or her loving gaze. Judy saw the little shrug of his head, and she knew that he thought he wouldn't deserve what was coming to him, but that wasn't true.

'Why do I know this fox so good? We are totally different. Biologically, we shouldn't get along, but somehow we do. As if we knew each other for hundreds of years.' Judy thought and saw how his mask fell. The mask to which he held on so tightly to not show anybody how vulnerable he indeed is.

"M-Mom...I...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did...and the time I wasn't with you and Patty. I'm so sorry." Nick said with an almost breaking voice.

Emilia stood in the middle of the room with widespread arms and an even bigger smile on her muzzle.

After being separated for more than seventeen years, mother and son finally embraced each other and Judy saw, that even Nick tried to hold his tears back. Of course, he would never admit it this to her, not even when she asked him later. He still had the claim to be the strong one, no matter what happened.

'Dumb fox, you don't have to be strong . . . Not with me.' Judy thought, smiling.

"Shush little fox, none of this things matter right now. It is just important that you came back to me. And now, you have to tell me everything and especially . . . ," the older vixen took with a bright smile the sunglasses on Nick's face, revealing the swollen eye," . . . Where you got this little injury. I think . . . It's like the one time where you protected your sister, am I right? But this time the reason was another young lady, I guess."

She ended her talk with Nick and smiled now at the gray bunny. Judy had the feeling that Nick didn't tell her the whole story about his fight with Finnick. But at least, he seemed to come back to his usual and handsome self.

"You are too wise, old lady," Nick said and bowed before his mother of course with his typical smirk. She chuckled again and was now fixed on Judy.

"And you must be that special bunny, the whole town is talking about. You look in reality even lovelier, Miss Hopps." Emilia replied with a slight smile on her muzzle.

'I guess even the female part of Nick's family can make me blush.' Judy thought.

The young doe suddenly understood where a part of Nick's handsome side came from. Somehow, Judy didn't expect that it was his mother who would be the handsome one.

A smile flashed over Judy's muzzle when she looked from one fox in front of her to the next, she was not even ten minutes in this house, but it already felt for her like coming home to a warm fireplace after a long, cold and stormy day on the streets. It was a feeling she had until now just in the Hopps Burrow, and Judy thought she would have this feeling nowhere else on this world.

"Thank you, Mrs. Wilde. It is also a pleasure to meet you," Judy said and made a little courtesy. Again, Mrs. Wilde chuckled about Judy's polite behavior.

"Please Judy, call me Emilia," the vixen replied amused and laid her right paw on Judy's shoulder.

"Okay Emilia, as you wish," the young doe replied.

"Perfect. Patricia, you know the procedure? Okay then, please escort our guests to their places. I will be back in a minute. For your information, I prepared Ratatouille for all of us. The foxes on the table will get a salmon with a special pepper sauce but don't worry. I didn't forget our special guest. Judy for you I have made a special carrot quiche, I hope you will like it."

"Thank you, Emilia," Judy said and beamed at the older vixen.

"Nothing to thank me for," Emilia replied with a warm smile.

Elegant like a swan, Emilia walked back into the kitchen from where the others could smell some fantastic flavors. It was now the first time that Judy took a good look at Nick and Patricia. Both stood beside her with an open muzzle, but she didn't understand why.

"D-Did I do something wrong?" Judy asked carefully. Both siblings exchanged a confused gaze at each other she couldn't decipher.

"No Carrots, it's just the first time in ever, that Mum allows somebody to call her by her first name. She is very special about it, you know?" Nick replied, still not able to believe what just happened and when Judy heard those words from Nick, she felt a sense of pride in her. It was a feeling you couldn't get from a medal or a ribbon, but just from one mammal who had its own dignity and who lowered herself to accept someone else who was in the eyes of the mammal equal.

It was a rare feeling, and for Judy, it was the second time to experience it. The first time was when the young doe laid her tiny paw in the huge one of Detective Peter Deckard, a Brown Bear, and member of the ZPD but more importantly she helped him solve a case in Bunny Burrow. This was fifteen years ago, but she remembered as if it was yesterday when the enormous Brown bear bowed down to her and said with a smile," I would be proud if I could call you one day a member of the Zootopia Police Department, little Miss Hopps. If I know one thing for sure, then that you will change the world, Bunny."

Steward and Bonnie Hopps, almost fainted when the Detective of the ZPD said those words to her little daughter. Her parents were maybe afraid of him but not Judy, she nearly exploded of pride and joy at this very moment. And since then Judy knew, she would become a member of the Zootopia Police Department. She didn't know if she really could change the world, but Judy knew that little by little, she could make the world a better place.

A chuckle brought her back into the reality of Nick's old home. It was now that Judy noticed that a delicate and sweet scent was in the air. It remembered her of Nick, but it was more subtle and almost smelled like peaches. After a glance to her left, she noticed that Patty was very close to her and she understood who it was she smelled. It was almost like Nick scent, and it felt as if she knew this vixen since an eternity.

"Did he really called you Carrots, Judy," Patty asked amused.

"You know, Patty. Once a dumb fox always a dumb fox," Judy said with a shrug and gave a small wink to Nick. Patty, however, seemed just to wait for such an invitation to tease her brother, "Please bunny, I could tell you stories about this red furred devil, where your ears would drop off and run to the next burrow to hide in the darkest corner!"

Both female mammals giggled like school girls about each other's words, whereas Nick could just stand aside and roll his eyes about the new formed female alliance. If Judy saw it correctly, Nick looked a bit scared over to the two females who were so close to him and who seemed to understand each other so perfectly in this short amount of time they had together.

"You know what, Patty? I would be delighted to hear those stories from you," Judy said and crossed now her arms in front of her chest. Patty emerged from the door and gently pressed with her right index finger on the pink nose of Judy. The doe didn't even flinch, she knew that this vixen would never harm her. Without letting go of Judy's nose began Patty to talk, "We two beauties have a date on Sunday. A shopping date. Prepare for girls talk, stories of Nick, Icecream and seeing each other half-naked while we try on dozens of new dresses and other clothes. How does that sound, bunny?"

"Sounds fantastic, Patty," Judy replied and tried to keep her grin under control but which was almost impossible in front of so much joy in the form of a red vixen, who instantly replied with a grin, "Funny, that's also the reaction of other mammals when they hear that they can see me half-naked."

Nick facepalmed himself and shook his head while he spoke with a bit of laughter in his voice to the two new found friends, "For the sake of the three goddesses, really? I was concerned if you two would come along . . . But this? I'm no longer sure if I see my sister after a long time or you, Carrots."

In a quick move, Patty wrapped her left arm around the baffled Judy and drew the bunny close to her. Patty also moved her right paw to her hip and said with a seducing voice, "What's wrong Nick? Jealous?"

"Well, I would call it intimidating from so much female power, but you don't get her for the whole Sunday sister heart. I have also planned with her." Nick said with a wink to Judy. Before the gray doe could answer, Patty, pressed the bunny against her chest and caught her in a tight embrace, using her like a plushie. For a moment left all the air the lungs of Judy and was amazed what for strong arms this small and fragile looking vixen had.

"NO!" Patty shouted out loud in played sorrow and continued just slightly softer to speak," My bunny, you brought her, I keep her! That's how things work in this house, Mr. Wilde," Patty exclaimed happily and puffed up her cheeks, to show her disapproval for Nick's plans. For a while, all three mammals looked just at each other before Patty let Judy carefully back to the ground. Grinning turned Patty to the confused but still happy bunny.

"Okay, you get her after the shopping. . . And sorry, Judy. Sometimes, I get a little bit . . . Let 's say excited," Patty explained and turned her gaze to the ground. To her surprise, Judy and Nick answered almost simultaneously with a short "Really?"

Silence reigned for a while, and all three looked at each other before they shared a hearty laugh that continued for at least a minute. Judy looked at the two predators and felt something she knew just from the burrow of her family - she felt home. A bunny that felt home in a house with three foxes.

Voices died down, and long breaths were taken before Patty said to Nick, "I missed this Nick, the nonsense and the fun . . . I really did. And now we even have Judy to join in. You know, Mum was not in such a good mood before, well before you two happened and the media went all crazy about Judy and the new hero of the city! But enough of that, we should go to the dining room, you know how Mum can be."

Patty walked up to a door which was to the right of the entrance and held it open, while she bowed before her brother and Judy. In a snickering and deep voice, she said, " My lords, My ladies, the table is ready."

In the dining room, Patty led Nick and Judy to a beautifully decorated table with red and white tulips. Judy would sit of course beside Nick. He all gentlemammal like offered Judy a chair and helped her sit on it. After the gray doe took her seat and decided that she sat quite comfortably, Judy took a look around in the room. They sat together on a long table, which stood centrally. Judy assumed that at least eight mammals of her or Nick's size could sit spaciously around it. The cutlery was spread far enough to give a feeling of exclusivity, too which the white candles and clear decoration did the rest. Judy guessed that the mammal who decorated the table knew exactly what she did.

The dining room had precisely one big window, which was directed towards the street. Behind it, the sun sunk slowly towards the horizon and illuminated by its last beams of light the dining room in a warm red tone. The walls were decorated with photos of family members, friends and other mammals Judy had never seen before. Nick, Patricia, and Emilia were on most of the pictures, but there were also other mammals. An old looking Serow, a Panda, a Boar, a female Goat and a meerkat with a mustache. It was an odd composition of mammals, but after Judy took a glance at Nick and then back to herself, she had to smile and thought to herself, 'Maybe not so odd after all.'

"So Patty, how are you doing with your studies?" Nick asked his sister.

"Oh I'm fine, four more month of normal work in the hospital and it is over...Oh sorry, Judy. You need the context. So... I studied medicine, and in not more than four months, I will hopefully get my M.D." Patty said and crossed her fingers, while she smiled brightly at Judy.

"I'm sure you will be doing great," the doe replied and took a closer look at the young vixen. Now with a more relaxed situation, Judy recognized that Patty seemed to be pretty small, and when Judy remembered the hug she shared with her, she realized that Nick's sister was in her heights precisely between herself and Nick. Even Emilia was as tall as her son, but not the young vixen.

"And I will know someone who can give me the good medicine and not those child meds from the drugstore," Nick said with a grin.

"Sorry, Nick but you will be the first one who is on my blacklist and thank you, Judy. You maybe never saw my work, but this paws here can do magic." Patty said, raising her paws and wiggling with her fingers.

"You know me too good, right?" Nick asked her with his smirk.

Patricia was smiling and nodded back at him. With a loud banging noise swung the until this moment closed door wide open and Emilia entered the room with two plates on every arm, balancing them without mistakes to the table.

The smell was something Judy never experienced before, she knew the food of her own mother, and it was solid home cooking, but this was definitely something completely different.

They started eating, and Judy couldn't believe how good the food was. For her, this was the best Ratatouille she ever ate. The quiche was a dream which tasted slightly of carrots but had so much more flavors in it that Judy couldn't get all of them. They took their time for their delicious meal. But finally, the silence was broken by Nick's mother.

"I hope the dish is to your delight, Judy?" Emilia asked with a smirk on her face, while she grabbed for her wine glass.

"Oh, it is fantastic!" Judy replied.

"Nick never told me about you Emilia, but I assume you are a chef in a restaurant or something similar to this. Because you have to be, this is the most delicious dinner I ever ate, especially this quiche!" Judy said in utter delight.

For a short moment, Emilia Wilde lost her mask and seemed impressed by Judy's conclusion, but she needed not long to recover her facial expression.

"Now I understand how you could solve the Night Howler case. There seems to be a great mind in this small body of yours, Judy. But what revealed my profession?" Emilia asked with a sly smile on her face. A smile, that was even more perfect than the one from Nick.

Judy liked the challenge Emilia and started almost immediately her deduction.

"First the quiche, I come from a big bunny family, and there were a lot of festivals in Bunny Burrow, but I never saw or even ate such a delicious quiche. To be honest, I didn't even know that something like this existed and I can promise you that I ate almost everything carrot-related in my life. Second, the way you balanced the dishes was just perfect. And third, the table is professional covered, not something everyone would do but I think for you it was no big problem."

Judy ended her case but could have said more, but guessed that the last thing she thought was something she would better keep for herself. Emilia smiled and seemed pleased with the explanation that Judy gave her.

"Such a smart bunny. Say, Judy, do you want some wine? It's a sweet red one and made out of cherries," Emilia asked and held the bottle over to her.

Judy's gaze went over the etiquette. 'Douceur amour' was the name of the wine and how it seemed was the wine itself four years old, the vintage-dated 2012. Judy couldn't tell if that was good or bad and decided to decline the kind offer for now.

"I'm sorry this one looks expensive, and I didn't drink enough wine in my life to appreciate it."

"Don't worry Judy, It is a good one, you will like it and shouldn't there be a point in life where you start to appreciate it? So why not now?" Emilia answered with a gaze that left Judy defenseless.

"Fine, Emilia . . . I will take a little bit," Judy replied, and Emilia seemed happy with the answer of the bunny and turned now to her own offspring.

"Patricia, do you want some too, Honey?"

"Oh, yes, please...Wait! Is the wine sweeter than me?" Patty asked, and Judy tried to hold back a giggle.

Grinning at her daughter, Emilia replied, "Much sweeter."

With played suspicion on her face, Patty looked to her mother and replied, "I can't imagine that this is even possible."

And Emilia was right, it was sweet and had just some hints of alcohol in the taste.

"And Nick what is with you? Do you want to drink some wine?"

"No thanks, I have my tea here," Nick replied and rose the tea in his paw to toast with us.

Emilia looked for a short moment as if it was a joke from her son, but after a quick glance at his face, she saw that he was serious. Nick just smiled back and took a sip of his green tea.

"Okay now to the interesting part. Nick, you said you wanted to announce something?" Emilia explained with a curious voice and set her wine glass back on the table. A short silence passed until Nick started to speak. For a moment Judy could feel his uprising nervousness again.

"That's right, Mum."

"So there is my first question, how long?" Emilia asked with a smile. She and Patty looked curious over the table to Nick and Judy analyzing every movement, every gaze and every exchange of looks of the fox and the bunny.

"How long what?"Judy asked and was now totally confused. She thought Nick wanted to announce that he wanted to join the ZPD? Or not? Was she missing something? Confusion seemed to be the common emotion that all mammals in the room shared at this moment because even Emilia and Patty looked quite baffled.

"Well, how long are you two a couple?" Emilia asked directly.

Judy, who just drank some wine swallowed up badly the alcoholic liquid and was now coughing. Nick's jaw dropped for a moment and confusion could be seen all over his face. After some seconds, Nick regained his normal collected behavior and started to help Judy by patting gently on her back.

"I don't know how you could think that we two are a couple . . . But no, we aren't. We are just good friends."

"Aha...good friends. Of course," Patty replied with a grin, looking alternating to Judy or her brother. The young doe blushed from the gaze of the vixen but tried not to show it.

'Oh, Nick what have you done? Seems like you wasn't quite clear with your words. But . . . It also sounded as if they have nothing against it. No! They even seem to be happy about Nick and me. . . About us. I mean if there would be something more than friendship.' Judy thought and tried to smile back at the two vixens.

"Okay, okay. Let's reconsider the situation from last night? You, my dear son, said, 'I want you two to meet someone important in my life, with whom I will spend a lot of time in the future.' End of quote. Did I make a mistake?" Emilia explained and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Waiting for an explanation and looking with concern alternating from Nick to Judy and back.

At this moment, Judy began to laugh and facepalmed herself for what she just heard. Nick understood now what he did wrong and joined Judy's laughter, only to ask her while he was still laughing.

"What's so funny, Fluff?"

"Really, Nick? You used those words?"

"Yeah, I thought they were fitting."

"Yes, Nick they are but in more than one way."

"How could I know, that they would misinterpret this?"

"I thought you have a silver tongue, Mr. Wilde? Or was it of no use at this moment?" Judy said and smiled over to him. On the other side of the table, Patty leaned slowly over to her mother to whisper something into her ear. Muffled but still audible for Judy she could hear the end of the sentence," . . . like an old married couple, right Mum?"

Both vixens chuckled for a moment before Emilia cleared her throat and continued to speak. Her grin was even wider now.

"Okay you two sweethearts, what is then the big reveal that you had planned for us?"

Emilia was back to her smirk and was now teasing her son with a full gaze of expectations. Teasing also seems to be a hobby in this family. Like it was a hobby in the Hopps Family to play football with 200 bunnies, and the only thing that was always sure was that total chaos would reign. The gaze of the two Wilde ladies laid now on Nick.

Judy could see that Nick tried to act serious and searched for the right words, which seemed to be hard for him this time. After a half minute of tension-filled silence, he began finally to speak.

"To not torture you two any longer . . . Mum . . . Patty. I will join in one week the ZPD academy to become a police officer. After six months of training, Judy will be my partner in the force. So yeah, you could say we are then a couple but more in a work-related way," Nick ended his sentence and grinned.

"Nick!"

Judy said and turned red again but without giving him a soft punch against his upper arm, to which he just responded with a little huff and a smile.

"Yes, yes. It was Judy's idea to clear my past to get a fresh start for the things that are coming. My left eye is a victim of his behavior. Today I was with Finnick, and I told him that I will join the force and stop what I did before. And he didn't take it the best way, I mean you know him."

Both vixens had now her paws before her muzzle and didn't seem to understand what Nick was telling. They seem to believe it was a joke and any moment would come to the punchline. But there was none, just an honest fox and his plans for the future.

As soon as the elderly realized what all of this meant, Emilia jumped up and seemed to fly the short distance to her son. She hugged him so tightly that Judy was afraid Nick would suffer from a lack of oxygen. But he was okay and smiling.

"Oh my god Nicholas, I'm so proud of you…" Emilia exclaimed loud. Patty whoever sat still there in utter disbelief and trying to process the new information.

"Mom I didn't pass the academy yet. It will be six hard months of work, and then I will be an officer just like Miss Hopps here." Nick said smiling and Judy saw that it was one of his honest smiles.

"That doesn't matter, I know you can do this without a problem, Patricia and I know what you are capable of," Emilia said and slowly parted herself from Nick. Small tears glittered in, but she turned fast in a different direction so that Nick or Patty couldn't see her cry. Already turned towards the kitchen door, she began to talk.

"Patricia, you wanted to show Nick something right? And Judy, you can help me in the kitchen. The tartes still need a little bit of love before they are ready and I think we two are just perfect for the job." Emilia said and walked already towards the door, through which she came.

"Ohh, I love it when Mum adds a little bit of extra love to her tartes," Patty said, while she rubbed her paws. Nick whoever, who leaned on his left paw replied with a chuckle," You and your love addiction."

Patty replied by sticking out her tongue to her brother. Nick whoever smiled just as if he remembered some old but pleasant memories.

"It would be my pleasure, Emilia," Judy replied and hopped down from her chair to follow the vixen into the kitchen. Shortly before Judy entered the next room, she looked a last time back at the two siblings and especially at Nick. The fox watched with a satisfied smile on his muzzle his sister and how she tried to reach for a big photo book which laid to high for her on a nearby bookshelf.

"Do you want me to help you, Patty?" Nick asked and chuckled as if he knew what his sister would answer.

"Ahh, dammit . . . Mum put the book too high," Patty said and started to climb on the bookshelf by putting her feet on the first row above the ground. There were still some centimeters which parted the little vixen from the book, but she still tried to reach it. Her tail swung enthusiastically from one side to the other, partly to balance herself and partly because she was eager to show her work to her brother. A little jump from the young vixen and Patty held the big and dark-blue book in her paws. Grinning she came back to the table and showed the cover of the book, on which stood in capital letters the two words 'Wilde Times.' A pun, of course. Judy expected nothing else from someone with the name Wilde.

"Now look at this brother! I prepared a Photobook with pictures of our childhood, I think you will love some of those old photos…" Patty said and sat on the chair on which Judy sat just a minute ago. Smiling about the two, Judy turned around and pushed the door handle down.

Emilia went into the kitchen, and Judy followed soon after. Unprepared for what was coming to Judy walked in, and as soon as the door was closed, Emilia kneeled down and took Judy in a tight hug. Surprised by the sudden affection, Judy took at first half a step back before she understood what was happening. She replied to the embrace of the vixen in the same manner and closed the hug with her small but strong paws on Emilia's back.

Judy understood even in this short amount of time they had spend together, that Emilia had to be strong all these years for her children and even now when the two were grown up foxes, she wanted to stay the strong mother in their eyes. She couldn't let her motherly mask fall in front of her children, her pride as a mother just didn't allow it.

'We all need something that makes us feel strong and sometimes even when it's no longer needed, we still rely on those old traits and feelings. It's just mammal-like to do so.' Judy thought and smiled while she still hugged the vixen.

"I don't know what you did Judy, but I will always be grateful that you brought back my son. Sometimes, I had the fear that he was gone and that he would never come back to me," Emilia said, and Judy could feel how something warm and wet was dripping on her shoulder. Even now, Emilia cried almost silent.

"He was never gone, all he needed was a little push from a friend," Judy said with a mild voice, knowing that sometimes in your life you need help from outside or without that your life can be a dark and scary place. Judy was more than happy that she could help Nick out of this and she knew that she'll be there for him so that he had never to go back to this place.

"I'm so sorry that you have to endure this whiny old vixen," Emilia said and chuckled apologetically. The fur on Emilia's face was damp, but Judy didn't care, she could cry as much as she wanted.

"No problem at all. When you grow up with 274 siblings and close relatives, then there is always someone who needs a paw or a hug," Judy said. It was those words that made Emilia curious, and the vixen went with her head slightly back. Her yellow eyes were focused on Judy's purple ones. And the young doe knew, Emilia did this to confirm if she was laying, joking or telling the truth.

"That was a joke right?" Emilia asked with a risen eyebrow.

Her look was the same that Nick gave her, dumbfounded but still curious when Judy told him the fact that she had an enormous number of siblings and close relatives.

"No, it wasn't. But it seems that the Wilde family has a huge problem, to rely on my family info." Judy said and chuckled at Emilia's disbelieve. The older vixen finally parted from Judy and stood up. She walked over to the sink in front of the window that showed a little garden with some plants and two trees, which was now completely dark, except two bright orange lamps and the porch light. For a moment, Emilia was busy fixing her dress and face fur, while she was looking at her own image in the dark window.

"I was not totally honest with you. I saw more, or at least I think I saw more from your past than I have told during dinner," Judy said and turned her gaze slightly ashamed to the ground.

Emilia seemed absent when she looked out of the window. She remembered Judy of someone who had seen something frightening but couldn't turn his gaze away. Her motherly mask was back on and now more robust than ever.

"So, what did you see Judy? You impressed me already, but I think I can handle some more." Emilia said still looking out of the window, her arms crossed in front of her chest. With a low voice, Judy began to speak.

"You probably started your working life as a waitress, because you know perfectly how to balance those plates. Something you learned after a long time as a waitress. But I guess, you also made the decoration for the table tonight. Another thing you probably learned in the restaurants you worked in," Judy said and made a short break to look at Emilia, but she still stood at the window and watched into the dark of the night.

"Most chefs in Restaurant didn't know such things, they have special mammals who do such things for them. You didn't decide on yourself to go this way. I assume that your husband left you and you wanted just the best for your children. So you worked hard for all that you have achieved, and this is the reason why you let no one call you by your first name except for me. Because you think we are equal. we both stand where we are because of what we achieved through our own hard work and dedication."

Emilia turned back to Judy and showed a bitter smile.

"You are a smart little bunny. Yes, Judy, you are right with most of your assumptions. You made just one little mistake." Emilia replied, her yellow eyes laid heavy on the gray doe.

"Oh . . . what did I assume wrong?" Judy asked, and for a short moment her ears stood high up, and her nose started to twitch.

"Not much, just the number of restaurants I worked in is way smaller than you think. In fact, I worked my whole life just in one restaurant, and right now I am the owner of this place called 'The Broken Circle.' But Judy. How do you know all of that?" Emilia asked.

"One of my many uncles is the owner and chef of a restaurant in Bunny Burrow, and he always told us that no one in a restaurant could be good at everything. I guess he was wrong."

"Oh yes, he definitely is," Emilia replied with a proud smile but continued after a short break, "Tell me Judy, Am I really like an open book to you?" Emilia asked.

"Don't worry it's not that . . . It's just Nick, and you have a lot in common. And maybe it's just him, but for me, he really is like an open book."

"I see," Emilia said, and both females looked for a moment just at each other, but Judy saw that there was more in Emilia's gaze. Almost as if she wanted to tell her something but wasn't entirely sure of what to say.

"Come on, I show you the chocolate tarts."

Emilia took Judy to the kitchen table where 4 small tart forms laid and waited to be back. Already prepared, they put there filled with chocolate and other ingredients. Emilia leaned above the tarts and looked over to Judy, who climbed on a chair to have a better sight on the table. Emilia started another conversation, and Judy thought they would talk about cake.

"I think it's now on me to impress you, Miss Hopps."

"Oh don't worry, I'm already impressed that you are so good at cooking and baking. You have to know that this is not one of my strong sides," Judy replied and smelled the chocolate tarts below her on the table. A delicate scent of chocolate and oranges emerged from the brown pieces of excellent bakery up to Judy's sensible nose.

Emilia chuckled and replied," Not with that, Honey."

The older vixen had that smirk on her face again. Something that also seemed to run in the family. Judy was confused. What did she mean? Did she miss something that Emilia had said?

"Since when are you in love with Nicholas?" Emilia said, and for a moment Judy forgot how to form coherent thoughts or even words.

'Sweet cheese and cracker, I can't even say for sure what I feel for him, so how can she be so determined and know what I would feel?'

"I . . . Ehm. . . I don't know. What makes you think that?" Judy replied with a shy chuckle.

"Believe me, Judy, a mother sees something like that. And besides, I wouldn't know anyone better for him than you." Emilia came close to Judy's face and whispered the next words.

"Whatever you do in the future, if you run away with him, settle down in another town or stay here and keep up the fight you two will cause, you have my blessing and my support. Because I know wherever he is, as long as he is with you, he will be happy. And that is all a mother can wish for . . . Oh and health of course. I know that he was not very happy in the past. He had an uncertain and lonely life without aim. But you gave him back what he was missing the most."

Judy was speechless and deeply touched by the words of the older vixen. Never before she heard someone talking so freely about her thoughts to somebody, she knew for just an hour and without the slightest bit of prejudice. Judy knew that Emilia wouldn't judge, or Patty. They would understand, no matter what they would choose. But what did she mean with that last part? What was he missing?

"What did you mean? What did I give him back?"

"Oh Judy, how can someone be so sharp-sighted and on the other paw so blind?"

"I'm sorry…" Judy said, and her gaze turned down to the surface of the table and the tarts. It didn't take long until Judy felt a light pressure from underneath her chin, that lifted her face back up to the one of Emilia, who awaited her already with a knowing smile.

"Honey, I'm just joking. It is often, that things which directly affect us make us blind to the bigger picture. That is just how mammals work. What you gave my son is something that is for life and maybe even beyond that. You, my little bunny gave him meaning, an aim for his life and maybe even family."

A sudden blush flashed over Judy's face but was gone as fast as it came.

"Okay . . . But what aim? I don't seem to get it at the moment. And the wine is also not doing its best to help me…" Judy tried to explain, but she and Emilia knew that the wine wasn't the problem.

"Relax Judy. You can sometimes be a dumb bunny too, mmh?"

Emilia said those words with a smile on her lips, but Judy wasn't angry, not at all. She was confused. But that was something she knew just too good from Nick and his little games with her.

"You are his aim, you are what he wants to protect and keep safe. He would never admit it because he knows better than anyone else what happened with mammals in this city that walk outside of the mainstream."

"But how do you want to know that? I thought you didn't see him for years?" Judy almost shouted the words to Emilia

"Oh Judy, he is still my son. I don't know everything about him and yes you are right, I didn't saw him for a long time, but some things never change. He has a good heart even after all these years alone. He just needs somebody at his side, that all. Oh and believe me, honey, I saw stranger things than a fox and a bunny in my life. Also, It's legal so why should anyone care. Besides you are the heroes of this city, if they can't accept you, they will accept no one."

"Thank you, Emilia but I . . ." Judy began to speak, but the older vixen took Judy's paws into her own and looked deep into the purple eyes of Judy, " Judy, do whatever you think is the right thing to do. I trust you. You did something for me that I can never repay you. So believe me when I say, that when you decide one day, no matter how far or close in the future, this will be, Nicholas will wait for you. Comes hell or high water." Emilia said and patted for a moment carefully Judy's cheek. Emilia parted and walked through the kitchen to search for something.

"Don't feel forced, let it grow, and one day you will know the answer. Don't forget Judy, It is not weak to waver and think. It is just a problem when you break with the path you have already chosen."

Judy didn't know what to answer, and so she stood just on the chair and watched how Emilia worked on the tarts. The vixen got a sieve from the nearby counter together with some raspberries and a large bag of powdered sugar. But something on the bag caught Judy's attention. The word powdered sugar was crossed out and above this words stood now the word 'Love' in red letters. She smiled about the little adjustment and had an assumption about the mammal, who made this adjustment.

"What is that?" Judy asked and pointed with her right paw towards the sugar bag.

"Ohh . . . This? Well, didn't I told you that the tarts still needed some love? Sugar is Patricia's most liked ingredients and as important in her life as love. For her, those two things are almost identically, and since she is old enough to write, she changes whenever the time allows it the words to Love," Emilia said and smirked while she worked on. With some easy movements, she finished the second tarte, " Would you kindly arrange the raspberries on the tartes? Five on each should be enough, my dear."

"Of course," Judy replied and began with her work. It didn't take long, and all four tartes were decorated with powdered sugar and raspberries. They looked like a little snowy landscape from which grew small red hills. Delicious was the first word which came to Judy's mind when she saw those little pieces of taste. Judy ate the last raspberry which found no place on the tartes, when Emilia who carried all four tartes in her two paws, placed her muzzle directly at Judy's ear. Almost whispering she spoke while Judy licked her finger clean from the red of the berries.

"One last thing you should know about foxes, my dear. We're very monogamous mammals. If a fox has once decided for a partner, he will stand by his decision, and he will follow wherever his partner may go. He would even go so far as to adjust his own life to be close to his chosen one, wherever and whenever he could find the time. Can I ask you something, Judy?" Emilia asked, and Judy swallowed the last pieces of berry she had in her mouth. A slight node came from the doe.

"How often have you and Nick met since you two solved the Nighthowler Case?"

"...Almost . . . Every day." Judy replied, her eyes grew bigger. Her mind was still occupied with the last words from Emilia.

"Mhmm and for whom did he decided to leave his old life behind and start a new one?" Emilia said, and Judy could this time clearly hear a smirk from her.

"For . . . me."

"Mhmm . . . And who gave Nicholas the idea to return after so many years to his family?"

". . . . Me." Judy responded but her mind was long gone, and her cheeks burned like fire.

"The next one is just a guess, my dear. But what did my son do when he realized that he would be six months without his favorite bunny? Did he accepted his fate, like an honest citizen of this town or did he tried anything, no matter who desperate it seemed, to see you during this time?"

Judy's mouth opened, but she couldn't answer. There were no words or sentences she could use right now. Her mind was just blank.

"I don't want to pressure you, Judy. All I want to say is that Nick, if he knows it or not, already made his decision and no matter how long he has to wait, he will." Emilia said and walked with the tarts in her paws to the door, leaning with her back against the door," Judy take a moment for yourself and take some deep breaths. Maybe this was a little bit much."

Judy didn't saw her leaving, all she could do was stare at the table and think about Emilia's words. But even now she couldn't find an answer for herself, so she took a deep breath, and stepped down from the chair. With burning cheeks, she walked to the kitchen door and into the dining room, with one thought in her mind.

'Those dumb fox, how can he bind his life to me?'

* * *

 **Nick**

* * *

Nick looked after Judy, who walked right behind his mother into the kitchen. He saw her little bunny tail lightly wiggle and had to chuckle. This dress, this beautiful dress on her, it is almost too much for him to handle. But to be honest, everything she was wearing was almost too much for him to handle.

"It must be great to be in love, right brother?" Patty said while she stood behind him with a big grin on her face, waiting for a reply.

"You have no idea, dear sister," Nick said in a weary voice.

"What's wrong Nick, no objections? No 'Please Patty, believe me, it isn't like that?'-talk?"

"I already tried this excuse today and look what it got me," Nick said and pointed at his swollen eye. Patty cringed and sat back on Judy's chair.

"It looks pretty bad, and that comes from someone who sees such injuries on a daily basis," Patty said.

"Believe me, it hurts even more."

"Well, if Finnick is good in one thing then it is punching, but maybe this can bring you some distraction," Patty said and laid the book in front of Nick.

"Why do you thought she is my girlfriend?"

"Oh please, we saw you both on TV and man you gazed so adoringly at her, with so much fire in your eyes. The only thing we could say was 'Yes, they must be a thing.' and boy mom freaked out completely."

"She did? Why? Because she thought that a bunny and a fox must be a really unpleasant look?"

Patty tilted her head and gave Nick a light smack on the back of his head.

"Auhhh!"

"Of course not you dumbass. Mum was happy for you because for the first time in forever it was not money you were after."

"Became my acting in public so bad that everybody can see through it?"

"Just the two of us saw it, dear brother."

They both looked each other in the eyes for a long time. Patty's light green eyes met Nick's emerald green ones, and for a moment everything was back, the accusation Nick claimed against his mother. The hustling and money making just to show her that he could survive on his own and the loneliness that he brought to his sister and mother.

'You were a huge jerk, Nicholas Wilde. And there was, of course, the major problem with my father . . . But maybe this was something for another time.' Nick thought and directed his attention now directly at his sister.

"Patty?"

"Yes, Nick?"

"I'm truly sorry for what I did. I caused you so much trouble and to be so long away from home. There is no excuse which can justify what I did. I should have helped you more in the past. I was a terrible big brother."

"Nick, it's okay. Remember if you weren't on the streets you would have never met Judy and who knows how the city would look now? There are so many possibilities and what-ifs that it doesn't matter. I mean what is with the possibility that Judy died in the case? The answer is don't think about it, because it will lead to nothing. Besides, you helped me more than enough with the university, the entrance to it and the tuition fee I had to pay. Without you, I would have never achieved that."

'This again, she still thinks that it was my doing, that she was taken into the Zootopia University. Okay, it was, but I don't want that she knows it.' Nick thought.

"Patty, I have no idea what you are talking about. Seriously, I wished I could have come to your introduction to the world of science. But you know I was sick at that time."

Her gaze told him that she was still unsure. She didn't know if Nick spoke the truth or if lied directly to her.

"Mmh, one day I will know for sure. Maybe I should ask Judy for help. She seems to have a good insight into your thoughts."

That would be a disaster, Judy needed not more than the story from Patty to know what really happened.

"Believe me, sis, even Judy wouldn't find anything," Nick said and hoped that his sister would believe it.

"We will see Nick."

"But you see, I totally missed the time where you grew up and became a halfway mature fox!"

"You jerk, but now about you! You know that we could talk about everything in the past, right? Why don't you tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"How long do you want to play dumb Nick?"

"Look, it is not that I don't want...I can't."

"What? Is someone pointing a gun at you?"

Patty couldn't understand and was sitting there smiling. For her it was easy, all the mammals to which she had a close relationship, female or male it didn't matter for her, knew immediately when she had something for them. She didn't hold back with such information.

"No look, she worked all her life just for her dream, if we would be together it would all be destroyed. Society wouldn't accept her anymore, maybe she would even lose her job or me as a partner. And I don't want to be the one who destroys her dream, I want that no one can do this but with me it more likely that it will happen."

"And for all of this, you will what? Lurking in the shadows, to protect her like a superhero out of a comic book? Life is messy, dreams can change, and love doesn't decide where to fall."

"Patty, please. It is easier this way."

"No, it's not. Hiding is never easier, you of all mammals should know that. You don't even ask her what she thinks, maybe a certain fox is more important than being a police officer?"

"Maybe you are right, but those are just beautiful dreams. I mean I would hope that but still."

"Don't worry you two will figure it out but you have to figure it out together. Please do me one favor Nick, don't think over your and her future just by yourself. Please talk to her about this. With me, you two will have a supporter for life."

"Thanks, Patty."

"Besides I want to know what a hybrid between fox and bunny looks like. It must be the cutest thing ever. Long, fluffy red ears. Oh my god and I would be the aunt of that cute little thing . . . I mean the possibility would be so incredibly low," Patty said and looked with a grin on her face to her brother.

Nick sighed and replied," I see, at least you support us for the right reasons."

Both chuckled before Nick finally turned towards the photo book and reread the words on the cover.

'Wilde Times'

"You really had to make fun of me and my idea, heh?" Nick said.

"Oh come on, I thought you would find it funny? No? Fine, I will change it," Patty said and looked pouty to Nick and the book in front of him.

"No, it's fine . . . Anyhow, let's take a look at this beauty, shall we?"

He opened the book, and there it was, his whole youth together with Patricia and his mother. Most of it were memories he had packed together in his mind and stowed it away in a dark place where he couldn't find it so quickly. Everything was stored away, and everything was so long ago. But here it was the ice skating in Tundra Town, Patty and Nick learning for school, both of them trying a new creation from her mother - she wasn't always successful with her cooking. Patty and Nick in summer camp at Crystal Lake. And the memories go on and on and on, and Nick's smile grew from picture to picture. There was even a photo of his seventh birthday where all of the gang was around Finnick, Badger, and Pete. All around this table grinning in the camera and waiting for cake together with most of the mammals from the restaurant where Nick also spend a massive part of his youth. Nick noticed that in most of the pictures stood his Uncle Heishiro behind him and looked carefully that nothing happened to him. Nick had him almost forgotten, he hadn't deserved that.

'How long had he not visited the restaurant and even more the mammals in it?' Nick thought and again escaped a deep sigh his mouth.

"I thought it would hurt to see all these memories again," Nick said.

"Why would they hurt?"

"I don't know, all the things that happened. I thought for a long time that my life just consists of hustling and making money. Day after day after day. You see, it was really empty, to wear this mask all day pretending to be happy just for the sake of it and everything until…," Nick said with a sad voice.

Patty grinned at Nick. She knows exactly what his brother wanted to say and so she ended her sentence for him.

"...Judy."

"She flipped my life upside down, I mean can you imagine that I will become a cop?"

Patty started to laugh and looked at the ceiling.

"No! Hah, not one bit. I'm still thinking you are joking. I mean Officer Nicholas P. Wilde? Sounds like one of your great hustles if you ask me."

She stretched out her paws and did as if she could see my police badge appear in mid-air.

For a moment her eyes were on my still swollen face, and she becomes serious for a moment.

"Finnick said something bad about Judy, right? I can't imagine any other case where you become outraged and start a fight, especially with him."

"How do you want to know that I started the fight?"

"Well, from time to time I also like to talk to old friends like Badger."

"Was he mad at me?"

"No, I mean you know Badger. He said he wishes you only the best. But he didn't want to tell me what Finnick said."

"What a curious little vixen you are...But no I will also not tell you. He punched me, and I punched him, case closed."

"One day I find out what was happening and then..."

"Then what? Will you grab Finnick on his big ears and drag him through the streets? Let it go, it will just cause trouble."

Nick saw that she would let it slip aside for now, but he wasn't sure if she would drop the idea forever. Nick wouldn't bet on it, and with a last look at his little sister, he turned back to the book.

"You know the thing is I'm becoming a cop, but I worry every day more and more about, Judy."

In an adorable gesture, Patty laid her head on her paws and gave my a "that-is-so-sweet-of-you" look.

"Ahhh Nick that's so romantic."

"No, not in this way. I know this city and so do you. We both know how Zootopia can be. And I know one thing for sure, Judy will attack all crime head-on. And you know as good as me that the Bellwether-case was just the tip of the iceberg." Nick said and scrolled through more pages of the book.

"Yes but she is just a cute little bunny, what can she do?" Patty said with a risen eyebrow.

Nick heard the words, and for a second he turned his head to the kitchen door.

"Oh, wowowo big mistake, sweetheart! Never and I mean it, never ever say that sentence again, especially not when Judy is around, and you like her and want to stay friends. Those bunnies have devilish good ears. Just for you, as an example. Today she took out a cheetah, on foot, without help and as she cornered him, she tricked him and kicked him unconscious. One blow, done."

Her jaw dropped, and she began to laugh.

"Your joking again."

I made a serious face and shook my head. Patricia swallowed and nodded in return to accept my statement.

"She is eager to fight crime and make the world a better place. For her this is no hollow phrase, it is her credo and philosophy. But I'm afraid one day we will find an enemy that is too big to take him down, or he will take us down." Nick said and felt how Patty clasped her arms around his left arm and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sure you'll protect her," Patty whispered up to him.

"I hope I can," Nick said and gave his sister a kiss on the top of her head like he often did when they were smaller. Together they continued watching through the photos of the book.

"The last page is just for you. I don't know how you will react to it, but I found the picture in the attic."

Nick was a little bit confused but draw my attention back to the last page. Just one photo was on this page, a fox in his mid-twenties was sitting there with a little cub on his lap. His father was wearing a black suit with a black tie and white shirt, and Nick wore just some dark pants, a white shirt, and a red bow tie. Nick couldn't remember this event, he was just too small. It showed their father and how he was the mirroring image of Nick.

"Where did you find it?"

"Up In the attic, in an old box. I guess she overlooked it when she burned everything of him." Patty said and seemed a bit sad. That was one of the big issues that created so much tension in the past. Emilia refused to talk about him until it was enough for Nick and he left his home.

"You know, I hated him all the time since he was gone, but I realize now that I'm no better than him."

"That is not true! Do you really think we didn't know that you tried to help us, even when you were gone? Besides that, you came back, and I don't think you will leave us again!"

"Thanks, Sis. And no, I'll never leave you again. I guess I would get too many problems with a certain little bunny if I would do that." Nick replied with a smile and took out the photo of his father for a short moment. He turned it and looked at the back of the picture, and there stood some word which raised his curiosity for a moment. 'Adrian Wilde and his son Nicholas Wilde', nothing more. Nick was disappointed, he thought of something useful. He put the photo back into the book and closed it. Right in time.

Emilia entered the room without Judy and delivered the tartes to the table. When Judy didn't appear right after Emilia, Nick was a little bit worried where the doe could be. Questioningly, Nick looked up to her and she, of course, understood her son.

"Don't worry Nicholas, I just had a little talk with your bunny."

"Mom she is not my…"

Emilia interrupted Nick and ended the sentence by herself.

"Yes, yes, I understand she is not your girlfriend...," Emilia said but couldn't hold on to herself, to add a little something with a smirk," ...at the moment."

Nick sighed and continued staring at the kitchen door, the female part of the Wilde family, however, tried to suppress the overwhelming urge to giggle. Especially Patty caught the last joke by surprise.

After some minutes, Judy entered the dining room finally. She still had a blush on her face and inner ears. Her gaze was directed straight at her chair. Without any more word, she sat down and was quiet.

"Everything alright, Carrots?"

"Yup."

Judy seemed to think about something, and Nick decided to leave her alone for a while, which gave him more than enough time to concentrate on the delicious tarte which stood right in front of him and which made him drool. He shouldn't be disappointed by his mother's cooking skills.

"Mom you are still getting better with your tartes," Nick said and earned himself a proud smile from his mother.

The evening continued, and Judy relaxed visibly after some time. Nick told his mother and Patty the whole story of the Nighthowler case, maybe with a little change here and there. Afterward, Judy told the story of the cheetah she caught today, and even Nick was impressed even so he already knew what this little bunny could do. At 10:00 pm Judy and Nick decided to call it a day and go home. The parting between the two vixens and the odd couple was just as heartwarming as the greeting.

"Judith, please remember that you are welcome at any time here and in the restaurant. So don't hesitate to ask for help, a meal or anything else. And you Nicholas, please take care of yourself and of course of your partner here. Please don't wait too long for the next visit." Emilia said and smiled together with her daughter bright at Judy and Nick.

"Don't worry Emilia, I will force him to come back and to see you both again," Judy said and poked Nick with her elbow. The fox huffed and made himself ready to talk.

"Okay, okay Carrots, I got it . . . Mom, how you can see, I was again forced by a little bunny to act but what I'll say now comes directly from my heart. I'm more than happy to be back, and I guess you'll have your handsome son now more often around you." Nick said and waited for an answer.

"Nicholas, there not many things I like to hear more than this from you," Emilia replied.

"And Patty . . . What do you say? Do you want to share an awkward sibling hug?" Patty's face lightened up at once, and she grinned back at him, going for a hug from her brother.

"Awkward sibling hug," Patty shouted and ran into Nick's widespread arms, who embraced her and both siblings patted each other with two quick pats on the back. Brother and sister parting from each other and grinning as if they were back in their childhood.

"Well, good night you two." The two vixens said from the head of the staircase.

"And a good night you two." Nick and Judy replied while they walked away from Nick's old home. Waving to the two vixens, which of course wave back. Patty even with both of her paws.

They walked around a corner and from there on it was just the two of them, walking home in the moonlight.

"Well, it was going pretty good?" Judy asked, her arms crossed behind her back.

"Better than the talk in the morning."

"Judy?"

"Y-yeah?"

"I want to thank you."

"For what? You and your family treated me with all those good food. I have to thank you."

"No, without you I would have never been able to come back home. I would still be on the streets hustling for no good reason. So, thanks Judy you saved me. . . Again." Nick said and smiled at her, but Judy grinned just and replied," Oh you foxes, always so emotional."

"Yeah, you know we have our times. And when it rains, then it pours, Carrots."

"I like your family very much Nick, and I'm glad that you let me meet them."

"For you always, Carrots."

"Nick you said today, that this was the second of three points you had to check before leaving for the academy. What is the third?"

"Clever bunny. Do you want to visit this Sunday a concert after you went shopping with Patty?"

"Ehm, sure. Do I visit the concert like the Gazelle one together with you?" Judy asked curiously.

"Yes and no, but you will see," Nick replied and looked into the dazzled face of Judy. He achieved exactly what he wanted to. Together, they walked both back home in the light of the moon.


	4. The Last Gig

4\. The Last Gig

 _As I hold her tight, she tries to fight it_

 _As she rolls her eyes, a slow submission_

 _Cause she knows I'm right, she dances her_

 _Dance in the broad daylight_

 _Cause I can't say no... oh I can't say no_

 _I'm ten feet tall when she's by my side_

 _But I can't say no to her smile_

 _Raymond Garvey_

* * *

 **Judy**

* * *

Four days had passed since the visit of Nick's family, and Judy had fallen instantly in love with them. She adored Emilia's open and direct way, her tough past and how she managed everything, from work up to the family. Not often, Judy saw female mammals like her, but what she admired the most about her was that she didn't mind speaking what she had on her mind. Even if it was very direct or painful sometimes. And Patricia, well Judy simply loved her, from the first moment she saw her until the goodbye, she couldn't do anything else but love Patty from the bottom of her heart. A place she always thought would just be reserved for members of her family.

Patty didn't mind that she was a bunny, something other mammals still had a problem with. Beside of Nick, of course. They wrote each other every day, sometimes Judy wrote Patty even more messages than Nick, and today they both did what they promised during their first meeting and went shopping.

'Someone could really think that I'm into foxes, well at least into one of them…I shouldn't forget, it was Nick that invited me today. I have to ask Patty about that, maybe she knows more...she has to know more. But later.' Judy smiled over her own thoughts.

After some exhausting hours of shopping with her new friend in the crowded Pyramid Mall in the heart of Savannah Central, Patricia and Judy decided to sit down for a while. Together, they enjoyed ice cream in the crowded area of the food court. The highest point of the pyramid also called apex, was entirely made out of glass and sun streamed from up there into the center of the pyramid with all its shops and restaurants. Judy and Patty decided for an exceptionally sunny place almost directly below the apex.

"Patricia?"

"Can you please stop that?" the vixen said with an annoyed look on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"Calling me Patricia, I think the whole time I did something wrong. Well, at least that happens when mom calls me so. Please just call me Patty...always, okay Judy?"

She smiled at Judy and nodded hysterically. And Judy knew she would call her from this moment onward nothing else than this.

Patty chuckled when she saw that Judy's ice cream was entirely made out of carrots. The vixen, however, had decided for one made out of apples, with blueberries on top of that.

"Is this an addiction in your family?"

Patty looked with a confused smile at me and asked in her carefree way.

"What do you mean?"

"The blueberries! It's unbelievable how many you and your brother can eat without getting sick." Judy said with a giggle.

"Sick of blueberries? Oh, dear little bunny if this happens you can get the gun for me…," Patty said and put another spoon full of ice and blueberries into her mouth. For a moment froze her expression and it seemed that she rethought the words of Judy, until she asked in a slightly terrified voice, "I mean, seriously...Can you get sick of blueberries?"

Patty's worries made Judy laugh, "No dummy, at least not from what I know and my family has a farm full of the berries and other delicious things."

Patty's eyes grew wide as if she heard that she would get a car to her next birthday but Judy also guessed Patty would be more happy about a bowl of blueberries than a car. And it was interesting to see, that Patty seemed as carefree as Nick but, she also had this childlike attitude to herself. Maybe Nick had this too but lost it over the years. With almost sparkling eyes, Patty grabbed Judy's paws and looked deep into her eyes. Patty started to talk in an angel like voice.

"One-day little bunny you have to show me that heaven you are talking about. I can almost imagine the golden fields as wide as you can look, with blueberries on the ground, everywhere."

She was now looking to the ceiling, and Judy burst into laughter. After the bunny calmed down a bit, she petted Patty's paws on the table and continued.

"Don't worry Patty if you like we can drive next year to my parents, and you can see Bunnyburrow and eat all the blueberries you can find. Right now they preparing everything for the winter and there is nothing more on the fields." Judy said, and she could see how her ears dropped, and so did her smile. She was now pleading at me like a little kit.

"But, but the blueberries…?"

"Are all okay and in a warehouse, greedy vixen," Judy replied. However, Patty's ears went back up, and her gaze turned back to her more or less 'normal' self.

"Okay little bunny, I take your word for granted, next year the Wilde family will visit the Hopps family! Promise?"

She held her little finger over to Judy, and the young doe grabbed it without thinking.

'Oh sweet cheese and crackers, my parents will be massively delighted to have a whole family of foxes in their home.' Judy thought but kept her worries to herself.

"Promise."

It was refreshing for Judy talking to someone else other than just police officers and to be seen as something else than just a cop. They were chatting about all sort of things, but in the end, it all led back to Nick. Judy couldn't do anything against it, but it always went back to this one topic. Patty even told Judy some stories about him, all of them heartwarming and on the other hand sad. How Nick tried to protect her even when he was wandering alone through Zootopia. Patty smiled at Judy and leaned over to the bunny.

"Do you want to know how I could attend the university?"

"If you want to tell me, I wouldn't say no…"

Patty leaned even closer to Judy and cooed the next words directly into her long ears. A shiver went down on Judy's spine when the words reached her ear, that made even her tail wiggle, "It is also a story about Nick."

"W-Well if you say it this way…it's always good to know things about the future police officer partner."

"Aha...partner. I understand," Patty said with a wink, but Judy didn't understand what the vixen meant.

Patty grinned just at her, leaned back and tried to find the right words to start. After some moments she took a deep breath and began to tell her story.

"You know, it is not easy to get a place in the university, and all newcomers will be announced in a huge ceremony. During this ceremony, they get a certificate which states that you're from this moment on a member of the Scientific Society of Zootopia. For this yearly event they invite the 1000 best mammals of Zootopia's pupils, who graduated one year before. Unfortunately, only 250 get the chance to attend university. I was there with mom but never really thought I could attend it, but Nick talked me into it. You have to know, in the history of the Zootopia's university no fox has ever got the privilege to join. Well because of prejudice and such things. Anyhow, they went slowly through the huge number of mammals and certificates. I saw a lot of devastated gazes on that day. But like the most other mammals, I knew that there was none for me. The last one was provided and I let my head hanging until…,"Patty stared at the ground, it seemed as if she had a very pleasant memory. Her dark mood slowly turned into a big smile and Judy was now more than curious to know the rest of the story.

"Until?" Judy asked with a questioning gaze.

"Until a small grey wolf stepped up to the stage. He wore the cloth of the university staff and walked up to the old dark and grey wolf without hesitation and fear. The old one didn't know what was going on, they talked for some seconds, and the small wolf handed him the last certificate. The president was not pleased and was gesturing like crazy! He was shouting 'How could something like that happen? Are you responsible for this? You know what, you are fired! Get out of here!' and the small wolf slowly turned away from the stage. And then the president shouted one last name 'Patricia Wilde!'." Patty shouted in a deep voice over the food court of the Pyramide Mall and tried to imitate the voice of the Director. Some mammals even turned around to them, but Judy and Patty didn't mind.

Judy was standing on her chair, and her nose was twitching like crazy. The young doe wanted nothing more than to hear the end and Patty was more than willing to tell her the rest.

"I was so frightened that this was a mistake and I couldn't think straight. Mom helped me to stand up and go to the stage. With an open muzzle and huge fears, I walked to the top, to receive my certificate. You have to know, that the president had bad eyes and he could just see in the last moments that I was a fox and this made him almost lose his temper again. But he kept it together, shook my paw and handed over my certificate. I could hear his teeth grinding, but I didn't care. I somehow did it, I couldn't believe how. Maybe it was nothing more than a lucky mistake, at least that was what I thought in the first moment."

With a disappointed face, Judy sat down on her chair.

'That was the end? Just a lucky mistake? I thought it was also a story about Nick, where was his part?' Judy thought, and Patty was watching her with her attentive eyes and started to grin again.

"Well, that was what I thought at first. But as I walked down the stairs of the stage, I saw the grey wolf standing there and waiting for me. As he saw me stepping down, he turned to me and stretched out his paw. He shook it with a big grin on his face, but all I could do was to stare at him and his eyes. Just then I finally saw, what I didn't recognize when I first walked past him," Patty said and made a small dramatic break.

"What was it!" Judy asked with wide eyes. The time to hide her curiosity was long over.

"Emerald eyes! And I guess you know which one I mean. There was only one pair in the whole wide world, who could sparkle like the night sky after such a devastating tantrum of his boss. He didn't say a word, he just turned around and left, walking into the crowd of campus mammals and disappeared. But at that moment I felt that it was Nick...Or at least that is my theory."

Judy cupped a paw over her muzzle and couldn't believe what she heard, but after some seconds she realized that this was precisely what Nick would do to help his sister. He knew he couldn't get her into the University on any legal terms and Patty would never accept something like that from him, even if it was the right thing to do.

'Nick you hustled them and boy you hustled them good.' Her jaw dropped down, and for a moment Judy wasn't able to close it.

"It...It's just a suspicion, but I think, he dyed and cut his fur, even on his tail, so everyone thought he is just a small wolf. The illusion was almost perfect. I would have never recognized him, at least not when he had also used colored lenses for his eyes. Well, this is at least what I thought, but I have no proof of it. But now comes the interesting part, the next day the media published the original list of the 250 best mammals. Something like that had never happened in 224 years of the university, someone had leaked the original papers. With this out, my time at the university was saved."

"On which position of the list was your name?" Judy asked carefully and hoped not to address a difficult topic, but to her surprise, Patty smiled over to Judy and made a victory symbol with her right paw.

"Number 104. After realizing that Nick could be the reason for my admission, I was afraid I was somewhere behind the number 250. It was a huge relief to see the newspaper and the official results. But even this was not the end of the story. After graduation, I lived for three years in the dorm of the campus, and each of the other students got every month a bill. You know the usual stuff like rent, food, electricity, water and of course the university costs. But not me. After three months I got curious and asked the supervisor of our dorm where my bills are and you know what?"

"What?"

Judy had an idea what would come next, but she was more than curious to hear the end of the story. Every day she learned about a new mystery this fox was involved.

"It was all paid. Every last penny from the first day till the last day of my studies." Patty said and remained silent.

Judy was again speechless, but this time it was played to not show any signs of her knowledge or what she thought about the whole story.

'This damn fox! Should he tell me one more time he has no heart for other mammals, I'll call him a liar.' Judy thought but asked Patty directly, "Can I ask you something, Patty? How many money are we talking about?"

Her mood changed completely, and she looked now very embarrassed at the table, a reaction Judy had never seen from her, and the young doe bet it was something the young vixen showed just rarely.

"You will tell no one right?"

Like a little kid, that Judy caught with the paw in the cookie jaw, but Judy raised her right arm and held her little finger over to her new friend.

"Of course not, we are friends."

"All in all it was $200,000. Everything was paid 2 days after the ceremony from a man with the name John Goode. I don't know who he is, but he is somehow related to Nick. I think I know it, but I can't prove it. Oh god Judy, am I a bad mammal? Every time I asked Nick, he said he know nothing about the events or the money. But I know he wouldn't tell me. I feel so bad about this. I think it was him, I am totally sure but one the other paw I...I don't know." Patty said and started to nibble on the claw of her right paw.

'Oh no, Nick the same name twice? You get sloppy…,' Judy thought and made an internal note for herself, to remind herself that Nick would never be allowed to use this name in an undercover mission.

"Don't worry, Patty. You are a good mammal, and you did nothing wrong. I mean who wouldn't take such an opportunity when it was possible?" Judy said but thought internally, 'I need to talk to Nick about this.'

Patty now had her head on the table, and her paws were crossed over her head. Judy didn't want to make her mood even worse and decided to drop the topic for now. Patty watched silently how Judy eat her ice cream with high interest. Judy could tell because Patty's tail shifted fast from left to right and brought even her bright yellow dress with the cornflowers on it into movement. Patty's ice cream was long gone. For a moment Judy asked herself, where did all those things go, which Patty eats? The vixen was thin as a rod….And after a while, Judy finally understood that Patty was watching her ice cream and not the doe.

'Sugar addicted little vixen…,' Judy thought and smiled, "Do you want to try it?"

"Nooo, I can't it's yours…," Patty answered still with her head on the table and a devastated voice.

"Oh come on, I would like to seduce even one of the Wilde family to eat some carrots. Nick is a picky eater when it's about carrots… Once, I almost got him to eat a carrot cake without knowing, but he smelled it in the last moment."

"Well, if you ask me like that… I will sacrifice myself for the sake of the Wilde family and taste your ice cream." Patty said and took with delight Judy's ice cream and licked from it. The face of the vixen turned from confused, to even more confused and directly to disappointed.

"It's not sweet? Ohhh, what a pity…," Patty said and looked at Judy's ice cream but returned it finally. For a short moment, Judy could feel the vibrating phone in her pocket and think back to the promise she gave Nick some days ago. 'The concert', she thought, 'I need to talk to her about it.'

Just for a second, Judy pulled the phone out of her pocket and wiped over it to end the alarm of the concert. But then, just for a second, she could swear she could hear Nick's voice.

"Something interesting on your phone, Carrots?"

"Nick?" Judy said and looked dazzled around her, but all she found was a laughing vixen on the other side of the table. Patty began to wiggle her eyebrows scaringly similar like her brother did from time to time, and she even spoke with a similar tone, which made Judy finally laugh about the little joke.

"Not a bad Nick imitation, heh?" Patty said with some pride in her voice.

"It was too good, well you got quite some time to learn it." Judy said, and Patty answered promptly, "You can bet your fluffy tail on that."

"Patty? Can you tell me where this concert will take place?" Judy asked carefully.

A grin appeared on Patty's face when she leaned back in her chair and enjoyed the sunlight for a moment, until she said, "Did you know he's a singer and guitarist in a band?"

Judy's muzzle dropped again, but this time it was real astonishment.

* * *

 **Nick**

* * *

It was a beautiful day for his last gig with the old crew. Nick hoped that this here would have a better outcome than the meeting with Finnick. His black eye was almost gone, but still, he didn't want to get another one. Nick knew that the guys here are way more relaxed and besides they were just playing music together. It was almost a perfect day for some jamming, not too warm, or too windy, and Nick heard there would also be a bunny with beautiful purple eyes in the audience today. With these words in his mind, he felt how the smirk on his face slowly turned into a big grin.

'I hope she likes the song I choose for her. Ah, what am I thinking, of course she will like it...No! She'll love it!' Nick thought, and his grin grew even more extensive.

For almost six years, Nick played in this band, and they did these little gigs every Sunday in the Zootopia Central Park. They were nearly a secret tip for tourists, who wanted to see a concert for free.

Nick was the youngest of the quintet, but they decided that he should be the lead singer, which was and still is a great honor for him. They were not a real band, with own songs and a tour plan. They were just five mammals who like more or less the same music and even more, they wanted to play together.

Nick looked at his phone, it stated 2:15 pm, and he asked himself where Judy was right now and if she really would come to this little "Concert." Nick exhaled deeply and walked with both of his guitars on his back further through the Park. One was an acoustic guitar which he had for almost twelve years now, and the other one was an e-guitar which was a "Gibson Les Paul Axcess Standard GMG." Nick loved his two guitars, the Les Paul e-guitar was one of those little luxuries he granted himself, and the acoustic guitar was his trusty companion for a long time.

'Well up to tomorrow I have no more need for such an expensive e-guitar. But maybe I know someone who could need one.' Nick thought while he walked in the shadow of some huge trees. Mammals passed, and some of them were already greeting him, and he greeted them back with a smile.

He made his way to the pavilions where they always played their little gigs. John, Daniel, and Steve already waited for him. Just the wolf was missing and being late, like always. The fox saw that they started to unpack their instruments and building everything up. Connecting everything on the stage which needed a wire to function correctly, between all those smaller pavilions which were now filled with mammals and their families. Some of them were waving at Nick. They were long-time visitors who knew what will start in nearly half an hour. And in the distance, Nick could also see the porcupine girl who watched their shows for six years now and who Nick would also call their biggest fan.

'I mean a fan of the first hour and that for six years? We're not even a real band. I should keep her in mind, maybe a good replacement, I need to see what she can do with the right instrument. Maybe even a last hustle…mmh if Judy would join in? I should give it a try. But I should save that for later, now it's party time. I'm hungry for applause.' Nick thought and put on his best grin.

"Hey, there you old rascals? Still walking on the streets and not dead?" Nick said in a loud voice

All three of them shot up and looked at him with a big grin on their faces. Ben, the oldest mammal in the band and also the bassists greeted with similar nice words like Nick did.

"If that isn't the devil's son himself. Ready to jam for the last time, Foxy McCloud?" The old deer said with a grin and started to tune his instrument. There was already a lot of grey parts mixed into his otherwise complete brown fur.

"Am I ready? Yes, Yes I am." Nick replied and grinned back at him. He knew that he would miss all of those dirty bastards terribly. Daniel a raccoon and Steve who was a Capricorn greeted him both simultaneously with a smirk on their faces, "Hey Nick!"

He knew that he had to talk to them about today and that they meet someone important to him. But one mammal was still missing.

"Where is Johnny?" Nick asked and looked around him.

"You know him, Nick, he is too late for us but ready for the show," Ben replied, not looking from his bass and still tuning it.

Nick groaned and stood his guitars on the wall of the pavilion. He helped them building everything up what was still needed for his last show at this place and this time of the week. All in all, it took fifteen more minutes until everything was done.

"And look who is coming there. Hey, Johnny in bed with your new lover?" Daniel shouted over to the approaching wolf. Nick and the other members snickered about the greeting.

But the wolf replied just with a grin and set his guitar down. He spoke in his high and cocky voice.

"Do you know what Daniel? Yes! And it was great, the whole night and today we slept in cuddling. And that is the reason why I was late. Oh, my Benji... " The wolf said in a dreamy voice, while he closed his eyes and thought back to the last night.

"Okay, thanks for the information Johnny, we'll save it in our memories under unnecessary but nice information we'll never need, okay?" Nick said while he unpacked his guitars and started to check on them. Just for a moment, the red fox turned his head to the wolf. Nick grinned at him, and Johnny smiled back at him. They understood each other, and that was what Nick loved about the guys. They would never say 'don't do this...or that is wrong', they would just go with the flow and say 'Hey if you wanna do it, it's fine.'

"Okay guys, here are your schedules and the plan what we want to play. Take a look." They did, and for some seconds they were just looking over the piece of paper until every one of them gave the nod to approve the schedule Nick had made for them.

Nick inhaled profoundly and prepared himself for a little speech. They looked at him and knew that he had something important to tell.

"To all of you, it was an honor to perform with you all those years. I couldn't find greater mammals to play with me the music we all love and share, on this and all other stages we've put our foot paws on. I thank you for all those evenings in the pub which happened mostly after our little gigs. And I know that every one of you'll miss this great, handsome, god-like guitar playing and singing fox. It was an honor to jam with you through this city. But with tomorrow morning I will be a different kind of mammal."

Nick bowed in front of everyone with a big smile on his face. He could see that all of them had teary eyes. Johnny couldn't hold it together, he was built very close to the water, and just a second later, he was crying like a little pup that lost his mother in a large crowd of mammals.

"Oh god Nick, such a nice speech. You know, I'm not ready for something like this…"

He was waving wind to his face and didn't see that all three other mammals grinned at him.

"Thanks for the nice words Nick, but I think it is time to tell us what you will do. I mean, we still have no idea, we just know that this will be your last gig with us, but why?" Ben asked and stood his bass beside Nick's guitars.

They knew that there will be a significant change in Nick's life, but he hadn't the courage and time by now to tell them everything. They all smiled at him not knowing what was coming and Johnny was still fighting with his tears.

"Tomorrow, I will join the ZPD academy to become a police officer. This whole thing will take half a year. In spring I will be back. But I think you will find a good replacement for me, maybe even a permanent one."

Nick smiled at them, and their gaze started slowly to change from interested to confused and finally to sad. They looked at each other to understand what was going on but couldn't understand that a mammal that hustled his whole life made this colossal turn. From a criminal to a police officer? Maybe some of them even think, that Nick is joking with them and any second would come to the punch line.

'Haha, hilarious Nick, you almost got us with that,' they would say but there was no punchline, just a fox who spoke the truth, but it took them a while to understand that. Again, it was Ben who spoke out what was on everybody's mind.

"But...but Nick didn't you said you make your money on the streets with, well... hustling? Why the sudden change? I mean you know us, we don't judge, that was at least always our credo here, but why the sudden change?"

"Well, that's the second thing I wanna talk to you. I want to introduce you to somebody today, so stay a little bit after the gig. And I'm sure you will like that little ball of fluff."

Daniel, the Piano player, looked at him with a devilish grin.

"It's the bunny, right? Hopps was her name?" The raccoon said and left Nick with an astonished look.

"Daniel you are a smartass in your own league. How do you know?" The fox grinned back at the raccoon. They could never fool this little bastard. He often saw something they couldn't see, whether it is talent in persons or someone how could need a beer or an open ear.

"In contrast to this blockheads, I watched the news, and in one of those, I saw you and a certain bunny. You know Nick, I stand behind everything you do and that what you maybe want to do will anger a lot of mammals and you know what?"

His grin was even bigger now. Everyone else stood there in confusion, even me. I will do something, that will anger mammals? Well, sometimes he sees more than even I do.

"What Daniel?" Nick asked.

"I'll fucking love it, man. And you imbeciles will understand after the show! Or not? Will she come, Nick? I mean this little bunny impressed me deeply. To accomplish something that is normally out of her reach. I mean a bunny and a cop? How crazy is that? And now you'll follow in her footsteps? What an odd couple to protect our streets. You know I like to ship the crazy ones." Daniel said and crossed his arms in front of his chest, now with a big grin on his face.

"Yeah, thanks Dan for the strange but kind words," Nick replied and felt somehow uneasy about them. The raccoon in front of him couldn't hold on to himself and replied, "You're welcome, buddy."

Daniel was always a little bit strange. Nick knew, that deep down in his heart he hated the discrimination, the prejudice and all the bad stuff that made this world a much worse place than it has to be. Like Nick, he was born as a species that has to handle false accusations every day. He lived multiple years on the streets and know exactly what this town could offer you when you had the wrong fur, and that was nothing. And then out of the blue, there was this little bunny, who seemed too weak to protect herself or others, well so all of them thought. And boom, little bunny rescues the whole city. And now the next punchline, with the help of a fox. It's still surreal. Great story, especially for the weak and disadvantaged.

"I hope she will come, at least she promised me. And if I didn't see her today, someone will get a lot of trouble tomorrow." Nick said with a wide smirk and saw now that the others smiled back at him.

It was Ben, who finally stepped directly in front of Nick, "Buddy, we know each other for a long time. We jammed together, and we got drunk together, and I guess I speak for all of us," Ben made a short break and looked back to the others who nodded eagerly to confirm his words, " That no matter what you do, you'll always be a member of this band and whenever you're in need of a companion in a bar, an ear which will listen to your wicked stories or bed to sleep on, just tell us and we'll be around."

Ben ended and took Nick in a quick but tight hug, and Nick guessed by now, all of them had a bit of tear in their eyes, but Johnny was again crying into his black leather jacket that he had pimped with glitter and sparkling stones.

The smirk on the fox face was now more prominent than ever, and Nick was never before so eager to play a gig with his friends. But this time he was especially eager for the audience…well at least for the unique audience he had invited.

* * *

 **Judy**

* * *

"Of course he can! We sometimes played even together, duh!" Patty replied sarcastically.

"Wait, you can also play an instrument?"

"Of course, my little fluffy friend. Mum brought ages ago for cheap money a piano, and I loved it. You know, such an upright one. And I still have it in my apartment. If you want, I could show it to you and play something, what do you say? Girls night in?" Patty said with gleaming eyes.

"Girls night in? What's that?" Judy asked and shifted back in her seat.

"It's basically, like a girls night out but just in my apartment," Patty responded with a wink and the typical Wilde smile.

'She knows where he is, I'm sure of it, and she still wants to spend time with me,' Judy thought and jumped with ease on the table of the ice cream shop in the food court of the Pyramid Mall.

"Alright, girls night in but for now you can show me the way to Nick's little concert. I owe you one."

Patty sat still, her right leg crossed over her left one, looking at Judy with the smirk of her brother. On her, it made Judy feel a bit uneasy, but she thought it's just because it's not the mammal she expected to smile like this to her.

"I owe you one...so, so," Patty replied to her with a meek smile, "I think you've spent quite a lot time with my brother and in this time, it seems like you've learned a thing or two from him. But I take you on that. One night with me for a concert by my brother. Come on, let's go."

Judy was back on her seat and blushed. But before she could even respond, Patty stood already in front of her and offered her a paw to help her up.

"Come on, Bunny. You'll love the concert. I promise you. In fact, I think you'll like it so much there could be a certain danger for you to fall in love with him," Patty said and made another short break before she added almost incidental, "Again."

Judy blushed even harder now, but she knew that any word would raise just even more suspicion from the vixen.

"Okay, but let's hurry. You know I made a promise to be there, and you know how Nick can be." Judy said and felt shaky on her feet, not knowing what would come next and what would await her for the rest of the day.

"Oh yeah, he'll tease you with it for weeks. You are right, so let's go. By the way, you can give me your purchases, I'll store them at home, and you can get them whenever you have time for that." Patty said to the bunny with a wink of her eye. Judy didn't understand but felt as if Patty knew more than she said to her.

They took the bus through the city. In the last row of the large vehicle, they made their way through the sun-drenched streets of Zootopia, past the colossal Pyramid Mall which made his name all honor with all of its shops and restaurants, over the Sunflower Bridge until they finally arrived at the Zootopia Central Park. It was one of those days in September, golden and on edge to the summer but internally you were already prepared to put on a sweater, sit beside your heater with a cup of tea and read a book. The cold rain could only be some weeks away, Judy remembered, and a cold and unpleasant shiver ran down her spine.

Of course, Patty knew where to find the pavilion area in the park, and it didn't take them long to find one with a massive crowd in front of one of them. It was very crowded, and they couldn't see well between all those larger mammals.

"I use all of my detective skills, to predict that the area we are searching for is over there," Judy said with a chuckle and pointed with her paw in the direction of the enormous crowd.

"Good I have you with me, Sherlock Hopps," Patty replied, and both female mammals stuck out their tongue at each other and giggled loud when they saw what the other was doing.

Patty grinned the last time down at Judy before she started to look around her to find a nice place to enjoy the upcoming event. With dedication she began to walk, Patty grabbed with her left paw Judy and held in her right one the things they bought today. Judy, who was at first startled by the sudden force of the vixen, saw fast that Patty searched for a better place in the near of the pavillions. They finally reached a lighter crowded spot with mammals of their size and an almost perfect view towards the stage. Judy was delighted about their new place and gave Patty a short thumb up.

The young doe recognized that this place here was nowhere near the funfair she visited with Nick some days ago. In fact was this place here on the complete opposite site of the Zootopia Central Park. Judy also felt that the tension and chattering around them were growing more and more until a sudden movement on the stage killed all the noises at once. A quick glance over her shoulder showed Judy that Patty held already her phone in her paw to record whatever would happen in front of them. It started with a familiar voice and his welcome speech to the audience.

"Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemammal. I hope you are alright?" Nick shouted into the microphone and stepped now in Judy's field of vision. He was wearing today a blue shirt and black pants but no tie, Judy guessed that a tie was not necessary for a Sunday. With an acoustic guitar, that hung around his neck, stood Nick in front of a small group of mammals in a white wooden pavilion without a roof, that seemed destined for mammals to play music and for others to enjoy this.

Judy felt as if she had chosen with knowing the right outfit to fit with Nick's. But she also thought that such things didn't matter, at least not now.

Awaken, the whole crowd answered with a collective "Wuhuu!" and "Yeahs!" to his question. Nick was enjoying every mammal in front of him, he was in his element, and Judy could feel it. Grinning, Nick looked through the rows of mammals as if he was searching for her, but maybe this was more wishful thinking than reality, at least...at least until their gazes met for a second and Judy saw how Nick send a wink towards her. The already familiar and warm feeling in her chest came back to her, and she knew whatever would happen on this stage, she would love it.

Nick leaned himself a little bit on his guitar and started talking to the crowd, "Mammals of Zootopia, listener, fans...I welcome you. Six years... for six years we play here every Sunday afternoon, and I have to say it was a pleasure and this every time, no matter how cold, warm or wet it was. You came here to listen to some good music, I know it because I have picked most of them," Nick said, and the crowd laughed, and Judy saw that even the bass player of the band, a deer in his fifties couldn't hold his laughter back. After some seconds Nick raised his paws to quiet the mass down and continued to speak.

"At first, we just came together to play for ourselves, but it turned out that you crazy mammals liked what we played and kept coming. So the things I'll say at the end of our little concert will not be easy for me, but they're needed."

'He did this for six years, and he is giving all of this up just for me? Oh, blueberries Judy, keep it together girl doesn't start the waterworks...well not yet,' Judy thought but didn't even recognized that she clasped with her right paw the yellow fabric of Patty's dress. It was something even the joyful vixen didn't recognize because even she was fully occupied by filming her brother.

Judy could finally see Nick and with him the odd band he had assembled. A deer who played the bass, a Capricorn on the drums, a raccoon with an e-piano and wolf who also played guitar.

'Is there glitter on the guitar of the wolf?' Judy said and tilted her head slightly to get a different perspective for the odd grey wolf and his appearance.

All of them were smiling, but Nick had the biggest smile on his face that Judy ever saw from him. He wore his sunglasses but looked over the edge of them, giving another glance towards Judy.

"It seems like my special guests for this evening are here, so shall we begin? But at first some wise, lame and also true words from an old dumb fox."

Nick looked directly at Judy, but the audience couldn't see it. For them, he just starred in the audience with no particular aim. Nick's gaze made Judy blush, but it was okay. Judy replied the gesture at him and waited with anticipation for his next words.

"I want to tell you something about change. It can be that one day you stand at a point in your life and you think that you understand the whole world, that you are more clever than everybody you know and that you know what you want and what you do – in short, you think you're happy. But then, someone comes along and turns your whole world upside down, and you understand that most of the things you did to this moment were meaningless and you are not happy, you recognize the emptiness you feel but understand that you have repressed this feeling until this very moment."

The whole crowd went silent, and they recognized that this wasn't some joke. All of this came straight from his heart. For a short moment, Nick looked moment a little bit depressed, but after he turned his gaze back to Judy, his smile started to grow again.

"And now to my wise words. If that someone comes along and you know it's the to make a decision. Don't hesitate, don't fear, don't think because you long know what to do." Nick said and plucked some strings on his guitar.

Judy felt that her cheeks were slowly turning warm and she bet her inner ears took slowly on a pink color. She knew who he was talking about. And to guess from the look on Patty's face, she also understood about whom he was speaking.

'That dumb handsome fox...why did he do something like that for me?' Judy thought.

"To make a long story short, I'll leave the band and the city for the next six months. This will be my last gig with all of you, and I hope you'll all enjoy it!" Nick said and turned for a moment his face to the ground.

A loud humming sound of disapproval could be heard all over the place. But he paid no attention to them, and with this last words, he started to play his first chords on his black e-guitar which looked really expensive. They began with a song called "I don't care as long as you sing."

 _And I don't care as long as you sing_

 _And I don't care as long as we swing_

 _And I don't care as long as you sing_

 _..._

Something told Judy that it was no joke when Nick said that the selection of songs was made by him. Judy couldn't point her paw at it, but most of this songs had something in common. Most of the time Nick sang the songs.

…

 _So here we go it doesn't pay_

 _It won't protect me no more_

 _When I get up, I break it down_

 _I'll double back and for sure_

 _I go back to zero_

 _..._

Judy recognized for the first time, what for a lovely baritone voice Nick had, but this was of course just Judy's non-professional but highly subjective opinion. In fact, she enjoyed every word Nick sung on this afternoon, and she could hear that a lot of mammals sung with the band. But the most prominent singer stood right behind Judy, Patty's female voice was in no way inferior to Nick's voice. 'What if everything was different?' Judy thought for a moment and recognized that those two would have made a career if just some things in their lives were different.

Patty was now entirely in her element, she knew the songs and could sing along with all of them and swung with her yellow dress and her light red tail eagerly from one side to the other. The young vixen would call it an expression of joy, but Judy would merely call it dancing.

"Those are the songs from our childhood and puberty. We heard them over and over until we could sing them in our sleep!" Patty said in a loud voice to Judy. The music was by now pretty loud and made it hard for Judy to understand what the vixen was telling her. But, Judy like almost every bunny had good ears, and so she nodded and realized what was told her.

Two or three songs were performed by the wolf which had to Judy's surprise a fine and almost higher voice than Patty behind her, which he used to sing parts that weren't meant for Nick's voice. Most of them were Rock songs and other evergreens but some of them Judy had never heard in her whole life. It was a marvelous atmosphere, and it got better from song to song. The group of mammals around was now mostly dancing and celebrating without any second thoughts. Different from the gazelle concert nonetheless, it felt more private, and it seemed everybody knew what to expect from the band. All the tension from before was gone and replaced by the joy of the concert.

Judy could block out that there were hundreds of mammals around her in the Zootopia Central Park, she could just stand there and listen to his songs. It was almost as if Nick played just for her and nobody else. With every look of him towards her, she felt more and more unique. All the songs he played were for her, it was a simple fact, but she knew it was true. It was to show her how he felt, what he thought and what his fears are. The mask on the fox who is so eager to play his part cool and distant was long gone ,and his feelings were laying on his face, blank and with nothing to hide them.

From time to time Nick was checking on Judy. Maybe to make sure that she was having fun or not being in any trouble. At this moment Judy had long lost all feeling for time and space. There were just a fox and bunny. It didn't need more, only the two of them. But closer, right then there was no distance between them. Judy wanted to hug him. No, she needed to be closer, but she couldn't. She wanted to kiss him. Yes, she really wanted to do that, and with this sudden realization, she asked herself what this stupid fox had done to her? Until now, she was strong on her own, she needed no one but was every time ready to be there for others. And now she needed him, she needed this dumb fox. No that wasn't entirely true, she wanted him, and Judy knew that he was from this point onward her weak point.

'Just admit it to yourself, Judy, you…Oh, sweet cheese and cracker Judy you are…,' Judy's thoughts were interrupted by Nick who made a little break to change his guitar. The red was back after some seconds with his acoustic guitar and some words for the audience.

"You all know what the change of my guitar means. We are now going in the lighter section of our songs. The ones which are a little more emotionally and also intense." Nick said and smiled to the audience. The guitar he used now looked old and in use for a long time.

'Really Nick, I almost cried on the songs you played up to this point and you go on and say that now would come the intense pieces? Oh please, I don't want to cry in front of everyone, Nick, please don't do that to me…,' Judy thought and feared what would happen to her.

The next piece was called "Satellite moments," and Judy felt that with every word Nick sung, she became more and more emotional.

 _Who are the mammals_

 _that make you feel alive?_

 _Are any of them standing by your side?_

 _Are you chasing every sunset? Are you facing every fear?_

 _Are you reaching even higher? When your dreams all disappear?_

 _Cause all our lives_

 _are just satellites,_

 _Here and gone like satellites._

 _Satellite moments, light on the sky._

 _Satellite moments, just passing by._

Judy could feel that with every word of Nick a shiver run down on her spine. She stood there listened and slowly started to move to the song. When Judy opened her eyes, all she could see was Nick standing there nodding to her and a smile on his face.

The young doe thought she was back on track after this song. But the next one "Shovels and Dirt," messed even more with her emotions. She couldn't judge this song, on the one paw deeply sad and on the other with pieces of hope. Also, Nick seems to have a dark mood from this one, but he went on.

"So guys we come now to the last of our regular songs. All extras for today are handpicked from me. So no refunds for the ones you don't like." Nick joked and chuckled himself a little bit. Judy was never a fan who stood in the first row of a concert or even a groupie, those were more like her littermate Jessica, but right now she would follow Nick wherever his next show would take him.

Nick smirked and switched back to his black e-guitar but Judy saw that he became a little bit nervous and she hoped that he was still alright. For the moment "Taking all the blame" should be the last song on his list. And with it the light-heartedness of the earlier songs was back. And It felt as if this song was already an apology for all the things he would be doing wrong in the future.

 _I'm not the one who started out making promises_

 _Made my mistakes and ran away and that's my punishment_

 _I hear the sound of all these rumors going down_

 _Is this how you want me to be?_

 _What can I do?_

 _Do you want me on my knees?_

 _What shall I give?_

 _One hundred more apologies_

 _What can I say?_

 _When you can't look me in the face_

 _I just don't know why I bother_

 _I go taking all the blame_

…

"Thanks, guys! As ever you are a great audience! But all good things have to come to an end, and we have 2 more songs. So, I was talking at the beginning about change and how it affects us. With the next song, I want to say thank you to a mammal that affected and will affect my life tremendously."

Judy's whole face started to burn, and she had the urgent feeling to run away. She could already feel how his gaze was turned to her, and his green eyes just waited for the moment, that she would raise her gaze to meet his.

'No, No, No Nick don't tell me you will…,' Judy thought and took her ears to hide her face behind it, but when he said the words she awaited, she just had

"This one is for you Judy."

Her ears dropped, and Judy slapped her paws on her muzzle. She didn't know why but she became teary all of a sudden. Not because it was sad in any way. No, it was pure joy. Judy didn't know the song, but he picked it perfectly. She couldn't stop crying while looking at him and listening to the song called 'Can't say no'.

 _Me and you, she says: We're like an odd pair of shoes_

 _One slightly stylish and one slightly plain_

 _One for the nightlife and one for the rain_

 _I never argue cause you never give in_

 _No use in fighting cause I'll never win_

 _There's no rule on this ship of fools_

 _Only lifeboat survivors who know what to do_

 _..._

 _As I hold her tight, she tries to fight it_

 _As she rolls her eyes, a slow submission_

 _'Cause she knows I'm right, she dances_

 _Dance in the broad daylight_

 _'Cause I can't say no, oh I can't say no_

 _I'm ten feet tall when she's by my side_

 _But I can't say no to her smile_

…

 _Why would want to not give you all that you need_

 _Love's unconditional without room for greed_

 _So many ships before us have sunk to the ground_

 _If you're afraid of heights, my friend_

 _Then don't look down_

 _Cause I can't say no, oh I can't say no_

 _I'm ten feet tall when she's by my side_

 _But I can't say no to her smile._

The audience was going crazy after this one and Judy was far away from a stable emotional state. She was wiping away her last tears when Judy saw that he was still looking at her with a big grin on his face. But this time there was no mask and no pretending. He was happy.

'Dumb handsome fox…now you did it. You made me cry in front of all those people, and you know what? I don't care…,' Judy had forgotten everything around her even Patty who stood still behind her wasn't important anymore.

"So guys. It's time." Nick said, and at once the crowd became serious again. A collective "Ohhh" was coming from all sides, but Nick kept playing his role.

"I know, I know. Listen if I could I would play on this stage until I drop dead to the ground, but unfortunately, life has to go one. So, for the last time, you will hear the next song from me, but!"

He had their attention back. I didn't know how but he was playing his part almost too good.

"But, greedy as I am, this last part is just for me. So I will play alone with my little friend Mr. guitar over here." Nick said and patted softly his acoustic guitar, to which he switched back just seconds ago as if it was an old friend and probably it was.

All his companions sat still, waiting for the last song of his longtime friend. This time without introduction.

 _We'll meet again_

 _Don't know where_

 _Don't know when_

 _But I know we'll meet again some sunny day_

 _Keep smiling through_

 _Just like you always do_

 _Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away_

 _So will you please say hello_

 _To the folks that I know_

 _Tell them I won't be long_

 _They'll be happy to know_

 _That as you saw me go_

 _I was singing this song_

 _We'll meet again_

 _Don't know where_

 _Don't know when_

 _But I know we'll meet again some sunny day_

 _..._

He sang two parts of "We'll meet again" alone and just on his acoustic guitar without any amplifier. The whole crowd was silent till the last part. At first, only his band members start to sing with Nick. But after one more line of text, all sang along.

The song slowly faded out and the whole audience started to applaud. At first, just some mammals clapped, but it rises to a storm of applause. Nick was still standing on the stage bowing and gathering his folks to do the same. All five of them linked arms together and bent for the last time together. It took a while till the crowd slowly started to stop and dissolve.

But he waited patiently with his characteristic smirk on his face. After five more minutes, he turned back to his band. His last gig had ended, and he and his friends started now to disassemble their instruments.

"Judy, I have to go. I need to show this mum, she always loved it when Nick performed, even so, she never saw him live. And I think you have to meet someone up there, right Judy? Please greet him and the others for me."

"Will do, Ms. Wilde. Good-bye and I'll write you, okay?" Judy said to Patty who walked back into the crowd, in one paw her phone and in the other the things the two bought today in large paper bags. Patty gave Judy a last wink and disappeared into the crowd. The young doe was still a little bit shaky on her feet. Judy exhaled profoundly and made her way to the band. She hoped this dumb fox hasn't more of this surprises for her because she didn't know how much she could take at one day.

* * *

 **Nick**

* * *

The fox finished packing up his stuff when he saw that a little grey bunny made her way to the stage. She was almost there when he leaned forward to be on eye level with her. She wore a yellow top together with some dark pants, but it didn't matter, for him she was pretty as the day she found him under the bridge to apologize to him. Judy was standing now on the second of three steps, and their faces were just some inches apart. Both smiling like little kids who did something

"So Carrots, what are you saying about a certain fox and his music abilities? Pretty awesome, eh?" Nick asked. Judy, however, just leaned towards him and embraced Nick in a tight hug. Calm she leaned over to his left and began to speak.

"Thanks, Nick, that was the greatest thing anybody did for me – ever," Judy whispered. Nick turned his muzzle to Judy's long ear and said shortly, "Your welcome, Whiskers."

Nick replied, and he had a hard time restraining himself from inhaling too much of Judy's scent. If there were no band members around, who watched them right now, she could stay forever in his arms. Maybe next time. Nick parted slowly from Judy and was back to his old hustler smile.

"And like I last sang 'Will you please say hello, to the folks that I know'?" Nick said and turned to his band members who did as if they had seen nothing of the hug and were just working, but the fox could see the smiles on their faces.

Judy made a little curtsy and replied in a playful tone, "It would be a great honor to me, Mr. Guitar, to meet the rest of your band."

The rest of the gang heard the last words and gathered all around Judy and me. Ben and Steve stood there with open mouth, Daniel was grinning in self-affirmation and in Johnny's eyes started a glow I couldn't identify.

"Gentlemammal, I like to introduce to you, Miss Judy Hopps. Saviour of Zootopia, first bunny cop and over-energetic nuisance of my life." Nick said and knew what was coming. Judy dealt a little blow with her fist at Nick's side and grinned up to him. This little doe didn't know her strength because Nick had to rub the spot she hit him.

Now it was Nick's time to bow before and pointing his paws at her. Judy stood still beside Nick and smiled with her brightest smile at the guys, but it seemed that no one dared to talk, now where they knew who she was. Well, all besides Daniel who waited eagerly for this moment. He rushed for and was shaking the paw of Judy energetically, she was confused but kept going with the flow.

"Ms. Hopps it is an honor to meet you," Daniel said.

"I'm just a mammal like you and the others, who try to make this world a better place," Judy replied with a warm smile.

With a grin, Daniel the Raccoon turned to Nick and said, "Oh! And she's modest! I like that, and it's so much unlike you Nick. How can it be that you come along with such a nice, young lady?"

Nick heard the words, rolled his eyes and replied, "Oh shut up, Dan."

It seemed that Daniel could break the ice and Ben was the next in line to shake Judy's paw. Ben kneeled even down to Judy, just to get on eye level with her. It was a naturally awkward situation for Judy, who wanted that he stood up immediately.

"No, no, no! Please no kneeling . . . I'm nothing special, so please you don't have to do that." Judy said with a smile, shaking the claw of the deer.

"It's really an honor, Miss Hopps. Tse, I can't believe it, Nick. You really know the hero of Zootopia, ah what am I saying. You're also a part of this story. And I thought you hustled us..." Ben, the large deer, said to Judy and Nick.

"Please, as if I would hustle some of my best friends. You know Ben, that hurt my little fox heart pretty badly," Nick said with a grin and crossed his arms in front of his chest, he relaxed when he saw that the talk between his jam buds and Judy went so good. For a moment he wished that the discussion with Finnick went just half as well as that one here.

The talk went on in a usual manner until Nick saw how Johnny slowly approached Judy from the site and took her in a sudden and tight hug. He almost awaited something like this, but he had also rejected the idea that the glitter-loving wolf would really do that.

"Oh my god, you are so fluffy!" Johnny shouted to the surprised but also laughing bunny in his arms. Still giggling about the sudden and for almost close attention, Judy said to Nick, "Oh, Nick could you…?"

"Sure, Carrots. Johnny off, off, off. That's fine, good boy," Nick said to the wolf, who sat the ruffled but jolly bunny back to the ground. It took Judy some moments to collect the breath that she lost during the hug but all in all she was fine.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry. Sometimes I'm emotionally so attached to the moment that I can't control myself." Johnny said in a high voice, his paws in front of his muzzle.

"It's okay. It was just...unexpected," Judy replied and giggled about the wolf and his behavior. For a moment Judy followed Nick's gaze, which went over to a lonely porcupine girl at the base of a big oak tree, playing something that looked like an e-guitar.

"Hey, guys I have a great idea. Because I know you will need a new member for the band. How about I'm getting you a new one? Let's say a last gift from your handsome old friend?"

"Sounds good, but from where? Do you want to create a guitar player and singer out of thin air? Even for a hustler like you, this would a trick too big to handle," Steve said and chuckled about his own joke and looked at the grinning fox.

"You'll see, just all just stay here for half an hour and everything will be fine, okay? So and Ms. Hopps, we have to say goodbye to the band. And you guys I'll miss every last one of you. We will see each other in half a year."

With this words, they came together and shared a big hug containing six mammals of the different kinds. Nick couldn't say anything anymore, he just turned to Judy with his two guitars on his back.

"Bye guys and it was a great show."

All four of them stood still and taking their paws to their heads to salute us. The last words came from Daniel, who became for a short moment serious again.

"Ms. Hopps, please keep an eye of this fox, he is a magnet for trouble and all sorts of problems," Ben said in a severe tone. Judy looked at first up to Nick and then back to the deer.

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do. But so am I and I think we can handle it together, right partner?" Judy asked and held her fist up to Nick, who quickly fist bumped her and saluted then to his partner.

"I hope of good collaboration in the future Miss Hopps!"

She and the band couldn't hold it together and started to laugh like crazy about Nick's act of being a police officer.

He took his two guitars and together with Judy, Nick waved a last time at the band. He felt a little sting in his heart, similar to the one when Judy wasn't feeling so good. To look at them and to wave goodbye, was hard for him but as soon as he turned over to Judy, he explored how the pain slowly disappeared, and Nick gradually became calm. She smiled at Nick, and together they made their way to the porcupine girl under the oak tree.

"Where are we going, Nick?" Judy asked, and Nick could see the twitching of Judy's nose again. She was curious, and he knew that.

"Oh, I want to hustle a long time fan of us. Do you see her? There, she's sitting under this tree, and for six years she was at every concert that we have played." Nick replied.

"Nick, no more hustling of innocent mammals." Judy said and looked irritated up to Nick, who instantly tried to sooth the young doe, "Don't worry Carrots. This one will be something for her, just wait and see. So please play along, okay?"

Judy thought for a short moment about the idea while both of them walked away from the pavilions and towards an immense oak tree. In the crown was also a Restaurant for rodents, the 'Skynut', Nick knew (of course) some mammals in there, but that was a story for another day. After a while, the young doe smiled at Nick and nodded enthusiastically.

"Good, but just because you picked some great songs for me, Slick," Judy said, and Nick's muzzled dropped playfully.

"Carrots, how selfish of you to think that those songs were only picked for you! Music is free, and those songs were for everyone in the audience," Nick said and ended his speech with his characteristic smirk.

Judy looked up to him, smiled her cute little bunny smile and replied just with one word to him, "Liar."

'She knows you too well, Wilde. Admit it your damned and hopeless.'

After a couple of minutes, they stood right before the girl, both assumed that she was not older than twenty or twenty-one. Her outfit was politely to say fitting, for someone who likes to play rock music. She was wearing a leather jacket, a squared skirt and a red and white tank top combined with nearly two dozen buttons. She was so into her guitar play that she couldn't recognize the fox and the bunny in front of her.

"I never saw such a run-down guitar in my whole life and boy I saw some pretty bad instruments. Are you sure it'll not break on the next chord?" Nick said and thought a joke would be the best idea to start a conversation. It wasn't. The porcupine girl jumped to her feet and looked to the mammals in front of her in utter confusion. Judy

"You…you are the singer of the band. How do you know me?" The girl asked, her left paw was clasped tightly around the neck of her guitar and Nick could feel, that this piece of crap, which was only in one part because of the enormous amount of tape that tried to keep it together.

"Since six years you come to this park every Sunday, and you think I wouldn't recognize a face? I'm maybe not so good in face recognition like officer bunny cop over here, but it's enough to recognize you. What is your name sweetheart?" Nick asked and saw how Judy rolled her eyes with a smile. Teasing, he loved making those little jokes with Judy. It made him aware that there was someone who liked him enough to even tolerate his bad jokes.

When Nick turned his attention back to the girl in front of him, he could clearly see himself when he was a young mammal which had nobody around him to help him stand up. At least not like Judy did for him. But maybe this here could be different, maybe this time he could make a difference for someone.

"S-Sadie. Sadie Miller. Nice to meet you," Sadie replied and stretched her paw towards Nick who took it into his own without second thought or hesitation. With a warm smile on his muzzle, Nick looked into the dark blue eyes of the young porcupine girl, and he recognized that she slowly relaxed from the first shock of the sudden encounter.

"Well, Sadie, no need to be frightened. But let me introduce us. The bunny to my left is Officer Judy Hopps, it could be that you saw her one or two times on TV, and I'm Nicholas Wilde, but please call me Nick. It's a pleasure to meet such a longtime fan, like you." The moment Nick mentioned Judy's name, Sadie's eyes grew wide, and she tried to understand that one of the mammals she admired for at least six years stood in front of her together with the hero of the city itself. The Judy Hopps.

"Hopps . . . By the three goddesses. You are...!" Sadie began to speak, but both Judy and Nick tried to play it down at the same time with the same words.

"Yes, we know! It's okay."

Both looked at each other after this little incident, and even Sadie had to chuckle. Nick came quickly came back to the original topic, he wanted to hear something from the young musician.

"Would you mind playing something for me? 'Wonderwall' would be great." Nick said and gave her another smile to encourage her.

"What? Playing? Here and now?" Sadie said and looked to the mostly broken guitar in her left paw, unsure if she could or should play with this piece of instrument.

"Yes, and singing."

Judy stood just beside Nick, and he could see how she wondered what for a crazy idea he had but even more how he wanted to hustle a young girl into whatever he had in mind.

"But...maybe I'm not good?" Sadie said and turned her face to the ground.

"As good as me? No, to reach this level of skill, you need some more years." Nick replied and earned himself some more rolling eyes from Judy with played pride in his voice he said to the bunny beside him, "Carrots, I saw that."

"Good, then learn from it, Slick. Sadie, you have nothing to fear this dumb fox here just wanted to hear an old fan sing and play. And I bet you are good at this." Judy said and took for a short moment the right paw of Sadie and gave it an encouraging squeeze. Pure joy lightened up for a moment, in the face of the young porcupine girl, just before she

'Oh don't worry, she can. Good job Judy, I know I can count on you,' Nick thought and winked to Judy. A gesture to which the doe replied in the same way.

"Besides, I heard your voice and play before. It was last winter if I remember correctly. At this Sunday, most of the boys were sick, and the show couldn't be done, but I was there. So you did a little show, and it was good. In fact, it was pretty great, but now I want to know how good you can become with the right equipment," Nick replied with crossed arms and his two guitars on his back.

Sadie didn't answer instantly but stood still with wide eyes in front of Nick and chewed on her lower lip. Suddenly, Sadie shook her head, and Nick saw the determination in her eyes he wanted to see from her. She exhaled deeply and took the guitar into her paws, "O-okay...here we go. One, two, one, two, three."

She tried really hard to play on her guitar but it was no use, this "thing" couldn't produce a decent tone. Even Judy looked worried, and she didn't seem to understand anything from guitars. Nick slowly pulled his black Gibson guitar out of his case and rested it on his feet and waited.

But it doesn't matter how much Sadie tried, no decent tone left the instrument. Nick knew that the thing she used to play on was broken beyond repair. Tears appeared in the corner of Sadies eyes, and the young porcupine girl cupped her paws in front of her face. Nick could feel that she didn't want to show weakness in front of two idols.

"I-I c-c-can p-play...I s-swear I can," Sadie said from underneath her paws, and both saw how tears streamed to her chin. Judy was touched by the emotional reaction of the young girl and already wanted to go to her and comfort her, but Nick shook his head. Judy stood still and nodded to Nick, but he knew it was hard for her to see a mammal like this without doing anything.

"No crying Sadie. Here try this one," Nick said and held his black Gibson guitar to her. A sharp and deep inhale came from Sadie, and her emotions seemed to be completely reversed. Her eyes still red from the tears but now wide open and concentrated just at the guitar in front of her. Judy looked puzzled at the reaction of Sadie and asked herself.

"What is the problem? Isn't it just a guitar?" Judy asked.

The question was half for Sadie and half for Nick. The fox shook his head and pointed with his eyes in the direction of Sadie. The young musician seemed like she remembered something and started to explain.

"Seven years ago, on my way back home from school, I came every day across this music shop in the Rainforest District. I loved the instruments and how they hang there, but the instruments I liked most were guitars and this black Gibson was like the holy grail for me. Unreachable but always there and I always wanted to play it and sing. I loved music, but my family hasn't enough money to buy me an instrument. Every day or whenever I walked past the shop, I stopped and looked for at least ten minutes at this beautiful instrument. But one Sunday on a walk through the city with some friends...it was gone." Sadie said and leaned back on the massive oak tree. Nick could see how Judy's eyes switched just for a second over to him as if they would ask him, 'What have you done, dumb fox?'

Nick didn't stop, he still held his guitar over to Sadie.

"I...I panicked and stormed into the store and begged the owner of the place to tell me who bought the guitar and after minutes of crying and pleading, he told me that not long ago a fox had paid for it and left to how he said for a 'little concert with his friends in the Central Park'. I was mad and angry, I thought that whoever bought this guitar wouldn't treat it how it would deserve it. And so I started to run and searched the whole park until I reached the pavilion section. There he was, Nick and the guitar. I was too ashamed to talk to him, I mean what should I say, he had bought it, and I had no right to take it or even use it. So, I stood myself behind a tree and watched . . . And listened. It was that moment that I became a fan of Nick and knew that the guitar was in the best paws." Sadie ended and looked with a dreamily smile at the guitar in front of her, and again she didn't take the guitar.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that." Judy apologized. Nick took a look around and saw that the sun was slowly settling to the horizon. The evening was drawing near.

"No, no I shouldn't get mad at you...I mean how should you know? The thing is, for me, this guitar is simply priceless and . . . Am I really allowed to play it?" Sadie asked.

She looked back at Nick, and the fox nodded slowly and with his typical smirk on the face. With very careful paws she took the guitar and placed it in her lap. She gave Nick her old one, and he looked at it with a mixture of disgust and interest, but it was definitely more disgust in his face. How could anyone play something on that "thing"? He asked himself and couldn't find an answer. He knew that this would always be a miracle to him how she got some decent tones out of it on that winter day.

"Where do you found this one?" Nick asked and let his paw glide over the destroyed body of the guitar, which was broken in three spots at least.

"I-I found it behind a club in Downtown, it was broken, and I tried to repair it. I… I had nothing else, and this was better than nothing," Sadie said and looked ashamed to the ground, but Nick knew there was nothing to be ashamed of. If he had been desperate in his youth, he had done the same thing. Sadie started anew and said, "Laster winter when you all couldn't play, and I stood in for you...Right then, it was still working, but since some weeks my guitar is like dead. No tone nothing, I'll probably try to repair it again. Hopefully, it'll work."

"Okay…Please, I like to listen to your play," Nick said and nodded.

Sadie started shyly. Now Judy and Nick could hear that they had a very talented girl in front of them. She had a strong voice and her fingers were trained to the metal strings of an e-guitar, Sadie knew precisely what she did. After her play was finished, Sadie leaned against the tree and was plunking on the guitar, lost in her thoughts and with a smile on her face.

"Are you attached to this guitar or does it mean something to you?" Nick asked holding up her old guitar which was bandaged in duct tape. It was sticky, and Nick could also see a pale blue at some places, where the tape slowly began to wear off.

"No, I hate this thing, I would trade it against anything someone would offer me…," Sadie said and even in her voice was a bit of disgust about her instrument. With a worried gaze looked Judy to the young women but just before she could step over to her and take her finally in a hug, Judy saw a strange grin on Nick's face.

With this words, Nick took her guitar on the neck in both of his paws and stepped some meters beside Judy and directly in front of the tree with the rodent restaurant on top of it. Nick took a large swing with the guitar, and with wide eyes, Sadie and Judy watched what directly in front of them. With a loud and smashing sound, the guitar hit with all his power against the oak tree. Even the duct tape couldn't hold the splintered wood in place, and a thousand pieces flew through the air around them. One thing was clear, Nick made sure that this thing couldn't be repaired.

Judy looked shocked at the fox, and for a moment she didn't know how to respond. Sadie, however, leaned Nick's guitar in a safe way against the tree. The young porcupine girl stumbled the few meters to the pieces of her destroyed guitar and started unrestrained to cry as soon as she held them in her paws. It was all she had, and Nick knew that.

"Nick, what in the name of the three goddesses did you do?" Judy shouted at him, but he just looked at her and laid his index finger on his muzzle, to signal her to keep quiet for the moment. She did, and he was glad that she did it without any questions.

Above them, they could hear a lot of tiny voices, most of them asked what this was all about other railed just at the mammals who stood around the oak tree and were responsible for this ruckus. Judy saw this and immediately tried to handle the situation.

Nick stood now behind Sadie and listen to her sobbing. He knew that what he did was hard, but Nick also knew, that she would never accept what he wanted to offer her. Nick took his guitar and held it over her shoulder.

"Here take it," Nick said in a calm but serious voice.

"What? Why?" Sadie asked, while big tears ran down her cheeks, gathered on her chin and fell in large drops down to the ground.

"I destroyed your old one, it's just fair if you take this one as a replacement," Nick said.

"What? I can't accept this, you know how valuable this one is and…," Sadie replied, and Nick saw how much she wanted to take the black Gibson.

"You can, besides I have no more time to play it or a band to play with. The value for me is exactly zero. And if I want to play, I have still my acoustic guitar," Nick replied

"But… but."

Nick squatted down beside Sadie and placed his guitar on his thighs. The girl started to look directly into the green eyes of the fox and saw how a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Take it and promise me one thing, Sadie," Nick said.

"What?"

"Go to the band and ask for my place. You're skilled enough and have more than enough talent, the only thing that was missing was a good guitar. With that thing, you can rev up and kick ass but remember in half a year I will come back and listen to you guys. So don't embarrass me and no need for a thank you," Nick said and stood up, just to hold his guitar again up to her.

She looked at Nick with her teary eyes and wanted almost to say thank you. But the fox just packed the guitar in its cover and held it up to her. Sadie grabbed it, made a last courtesy and run to the big pavilion. Nick watched her walk over to his former band members. And suddenly sadness took over, and he knew that this part of his life was over, he was no longer a member of the band.

Most of the voices vanished, and the rodents who watched from high above their were gone, most of them after they saw and recognized Judy. It seemed like they thought that she would already handle this act of vandalism. Now finished with her work, Judy stepped back to Nick.

"You're one crazy fox, you know that, Slick?"

"What? Wasn't that the logical consequence, Ms. Hopps?" Nick asked with a sly grin.

"I know no one who would give away his most beloved guitar. By the way, what did Sadie mean with valuable? How much did this instrument cost?"

Nick smiled at her and turned to the exit of the park.

"Whiskers, don't worry about this. I think this investment in my old band of 4000 $ was more than justified," Nick explained and swung his acoustic guitar on his back.

Nick looked over his shoulder and saw a young grey doe standing there with an open mouth who was apparently unable to move.

'A lot of money for a bunny from the countryside,' Nick thought and saw how Judy's muzzle slowly started to work again.

"F-four thousand dollars? Nick, I-I'm sorry I didn't know this guitar was so valuable."

"As I said, I don't need it anymore. It would be wasted on me," Nick replied with a shrug and Judy quickly caught up to him, to walk by his side. She slowly relaxed but he knew that it would take a while before she could completely accept what he had given up for her.

They slowly made their way to the exit of the park. The opening in the large and high stone wall with the metallic caption 'Zootopia Central Park West Entry' was already in sight. Around them were a lot of single mammals, some couples and families who try to enjoy the last warm days in September. Soon this will be gone, and the cold will reign even over this part of the city. The different ecosystems can't balance every change in temperature.

Judy walked now right beside Nick. She was close, very close but he liked that and smiled down to her. And then, just for a moment, Judy leaned her head against Nicks side. But the moment didn't, and Nick decided to be a bit braver than usual and wrapped his paw around her shoulder.

Like this, they didn't even reach the exit before Nick felt those judging gazes of the mammals around them. Until now, he had just forgotten them, but soon the explanations in his head began anew, and he told himself that they're just friends. It didn't matter what they think, but he knew that this was wrong. It mattered as long as they wanted to live here in this city.

"You are a good mammal Nick."

"Thank you, Whiskers. Good to hear such words from you." Nick said and felt a kind of security, something that should change in an instant.

"Even, if you hustled a university president, leaked sensitive information to the media and pay for your sister under a false name."

Nick was shocked, but he knew that Judy would solve the puzzle as soon as she heard the story from Patty. She was too good at this, it was almost frightening.

'I should never try to keep a secret from her, this would be wasted time and could be very dangerous for me,' Nick thought and finally looked with a soothing smile to her.

"Oh this, yes Patty told me about the grey wolf and the…," Nick explained and thought he could talk his way out of it. But the angered face of Judy told him that this little battle was long lost before it had even begun.

"Nicholas Wilde! No lying." Judy shouted and stepped in front of him.

Nick exhaled profoundly and knew that Judy got him. Pleading, he thought, 'Please, don't let her be mad at me.'

"I'm sorry Judy what I did was wrong and…," Nick began was to his own surprise interrupted by Judy.

"No," Judy replied.

"No? You see, Carrots, it's strange to hear those words from you regarding an obvious...Well, let's call it a one time clash with the current law." Nick said and chuckled about his own phrasing, but as soon as he saw the stern face of Judy, his own smile vanished rather quick, and he added with lowered ears, "Sorry."

"No, you're right!" Judy replied. And Nick couldn't believe what he heard right now, "I...am?"

"Please, hear me out, Nick. I really think, what you did was the right thing to do. Patty told me the story, and at first, I thought that there must be a legal way to solve the problem. But every other possibility that came to my mind and would be based on legal terms would lead to a failure. No matter what you, Patty or Emilia would've done . . . They would've found a way to make you fail. It seems that sometimes the world isn't just black and white." Judy said and dropped her usually upright standing ears to her back.

"It's never just black and white," Nick replied in a similar stern voice.

"Nick, I . . . I also have to apologize. I didn't know what you all give up for me. The band, your old friends, your beloved guitar…I didn't deserve someone so great as a partner," Judy said, held her left arm with her right paw and looked ashamed to the ground.

For a moment, Nick stood just in front of her and was unable to reply. Not because of a lack of words but because he saw her only one other time hurt like this and that was under a particular bridge where she apologized for the things she had said to him after her first press conference.

Nick did the only thing that made sense for him at this moment. The red fox went down on one knee and embraced the smaller bunny in a hug. With his head over Judy's shoulder and his arms around her body, he began to whisper into her ear.

"Judy, I'm not as great as you think of me. I gambled, I hustled, I was on the wrong side of the law, and I can be very selfish. I would still be out there living a meaningless life. Believe me, I would exchange all that I have at any minute against the possibility to be your friend," Nick ended what he said and drawn himself a bit back. With his left paw, he wiped away the small tears around Judy's eyes and spoke on, "So let us forget those teary eyes and have a nice evening, okay? You know it's my last, not police related evening and I think I should invite you into a bar. And believe it or not, I think I know one or two in this town who can make you a carrot cocktail that'll blow you away. Drinks are on me...So, what do you say?"

A small chuckle came from the teary bunny, but Judy found fast back to her old confidence and replied, "Nick, not everything I eat or drink has to be related to carrots. In fact, they're pretty bad for my figure and you know I want to stay in shape for various reasons."

"Well, I guess they'll also have something else for you…," Nick replied grinning but was interrupted by a deep voice, which came from a huge tiger in a black suit and sunglasses.

"Miss Hopps, Mister Wilde I'm sorry to interrupt you. But my master wishes to have a conversation with you," The deep voice said.

Judy was instantly back in her role as a police officer and ready to fight. When Nick looked around him, he saw one other tiger in a suit and a massive grey wolf with the same clothes and sunglasses, right behind them. Escape was no option. Judy seemed to realize this as well and looked for other possibilities to escape this situation, but there were none. She exhaled deeply and spoke.

"Who is he and what does he want from us?" Judy asked as calm as she could, but Nick saw that she was internally raging about this approach to them.

"Again, I am deeply sorry, but I have no right to give you this information. But I can assure you, that we are not here to harm or kill you."

'Wow, maximum threat level reached and this after two minutes in this conversation…,' Nick thought.

"To speak in such a way with a police officer is very improperly, don't you think?" Judy asked, still trying to find a way out of this situation.

"Yes, Miss and I am deeply sorry for this," The tiger replied polite but without any real sign of regret.

Judy looked with a worried gaze at Nick, but he was also unsure who send them. He had ideas and could make assumptions, but that was all. He saw no gang sign, no corporation id, nothing. Finally, Nick shook his head and spoke to the tiger.

"Can you give us any kind of information who you are or to whom you belong?" Nick asked.

The tiger took from the inner pocket of his suit a business card and handed it over to the bunny and the fox. The card was completely black. But if you changed the ankle with which you looked at the card, on which you could see a 'G' and a 'P'. For a moment Nick was shocked, and he knew that he also showed his emotion when he glanced at Judy. Nick had heard of them, but since lately he thought they were just a myth.

'I mean I searched for them myself for almost fifteen years but couldn't find any clear trace, and now after I stopped looking for them, they are coming to me? What's going on here?' Nick thought and answered with a lot of worries in mind, "We will come with you."

Judy glanced back at him and was more than surprised about his answer. Nick could see that she was afraid of not knowing what was going on here and Nick couldn't blame her because he felt the same way.

"I will explain it, Carrots," Nick promised.

The tiger nodded and escorted both mammals out of the park to the Main Street. The other tiger and the wolf followed behind them but with some distance. Together they walked down the sidewalk. Nick saw and felt Judy's tension and laid his paw on her shoulder, Judy relaxed instantly and looked with a soft gaze back to him.

Both stopped right in front of a limousine, the tiger opened the last door of the long vehicle and gave them a sign to get in.

Like a true gentlemammal, even in this situation, Nick helped Judy into the limo and climbed right after her but not without dropping one last comment to the tiger.

"I hope Christopher Robin has more to say as you Tigger," Nick joked, but the Tiger didn't react.

'I had better audience…,' Nick thought and closed the door. The Tiger, however, hurried to the front door. Nick had a bad feeling about this because he knew to meet a member of the 'Gods Paw' was no daily business.

###

Special thanks to SpaceShipEarth1 for the great work you did.


	5. Void

_"The truth is rarely pure and never simple" - Oscar Wilde._

* * *

 **Nick**

* * *

Judy sat in her seat and watched how the city was flying by the window. Nick and Judy were alone in the back part of the limousine, equipped with everything you could need for a relaxed ride, including an all inclusive a little mini bar.

'Should I look what is in there? Nah, maybe later.' Nick thought and pushed the idea in the back of his mind. The tiger who asked them not even ten minutes ago to follow him into this mysterious limo looked through the small cabin window, just to give the two the information that they will be at their destination in something about twenty minutes. Judy seemed bothered, and Nick didn't know how she was doing, at least not precisely. But he knew that she was thinking about their situation and the mammal who was waiting for them.

"Nick you said you know everyone, right?" Judy asked but didn't take her gaze from the window which was too high for her and let her only see the upper floors of the buildings they passed by.

"Sorry Carrots, we left the streets of Zootopia where every mammal has a normal name and heading straight to the underworld."

She looked confused, and Nick couldn't blame her. This part of the town, this society was new for her. Yes, she caught a lot of thieves and other street criminals, but this was not the same. They were playing right now in a different league, and the one they were heading to was a league of its own.

"What do you mean with that?"

"Do you know how I said to you that with me you'll get to know the dark and rotten parts of the city? That was no joke. We are on our way to it, and no one there had a real name. I can tell you stories and assumptions, but that's all."

"Okay, and who's this group we are heading to, I mean you recognize their business card?" Judy asked and looked finally to Nick. He saw fear in her purple eyes, and it made him feel bad.

But there was more, Nick could also see the hope in her eyes, and he didn't want to destroy them. Even for him, this meeting was new and not predictable, but one idea went through his head, 'Nick you know it's time for some words to better describe our situation. She's scared, and you don't want a scared bunny.'

"Judy you have to understand one thing," Nick began to explain.

He knew he had her full attention. Nick could see her nose twitching like crazy which was a sure sign for her tension and interest.

"Names like Nick Wilde or Judy Hopps doesn't matter for the mammals we meet. They'll know who we are, but for them, we don't matter. We will go into the world of codenames, stories, and mysteries. Nothing is sure, and nobody is safe. We are going to a place where the life of one mammal had no worth," Nick explained and was nervously holding my guitar or better I clutched my paws around its neck. Judy looked slowly a little bit scared but seems otherwise okay.

"The mammal we will meet, and his group is one of those mysteries. Till now I had no proof that they even exist, but sometimes I heard a whisper or a story, and you draw your conclusions from it. I know that they're a group of mammals and that their main business is the gathering of information and execution of tasks. And there seems to be four of them, four mammals who can give you any information or do anything for you, well if you have the money to pay for it. But anything that went further than this is pure speculation. What they are and where they come from...I have no idea. You could say they're like ghosts, no one had clear evidence of their existence – ever."

Judy had now her head on the paws. She was again thinking about the situation, but she was finding no clue or lead which made her understand why this was happening. They were still driving, but they didn't leave the city, more precisely, Judy and Nick were heading into the heart of the City with its restaurants, bars, clubs and other seductions.

"Do you know for what the initials stand?"

"They call themselves the 'Gods Paw' and I guess you also understand now why they're four and not more or less," Nick said and grinned at Judy. The young doe, however, looked down at her fingers and wiggled with all four of them before she smiled back at Nick.

"Almost clever, Slick. Say, is this something religious?"

Nick chuckled although the situation was not the best. Judy gave him a scolding look for this, and he knew that he earned it.

'I even love it when she does this,' Nick thought but went rather quickly on with his explanation, but he also realized that he sooner or later needed something to drink.

"You mean like the tale of the three goddesses? No. But I think the intention is more about mocking religions and other groups than being serious with it."

"Why? Sorry, I know of course the tale of the three goddesses but this was never my field of interest, and I have no intention of changing this," Judy replied with a slight smile on her lips.

When Nick took a closer look at her, and he was glad that she was slowly back to her old mood. Nick sighed with relief and went on with his explanation.

"You know a group of mammals, claiming to be the executive order of a god, knowing everything and working in mysterious ways. It sounds a lot like some religious bullshit or a bunch of trolls. My bet is on the second guess."

Because Nick didn't know anything better to do with the situation, he opened the minibar and looked what he could find. With great relief, he took a cooled bottle of water out of it. Judy chuckled at first but hissed at me when she saw that he really wanted to drink from it.

"Nick!"

"What? I don't think they will poison us with some water, besides I was singing in the park for over an hour, I need some of these."

Judy's jaw dropped a bit but also she realized fast that there was no real threat in this car.

"If they want us dead, we two would be tied together and on our way to the docks but not in some limousine with destination downtown or some other inner city part," Nick said. Judy looked at him and held her paw out and looked a little bit imploringly at the red fox. He needed a moment to understand what she wanted from him.

'You little double minded doe...you can be happy that you're so cute with your big purple eyes…but not right away. Tell me what you want, and you maybe will get it,' Nick thought and smirked to Judy.

"Yes, Carrots? Anything you want?"

Judy gave Nick a scolding look and rolled her eyes, but Nick felt that it was definitely worth it.

"Sorry, I can't hear you?" Nick replied and did as if Judy had already said something but just not loud enough.

"Could you please give me some water?" Judy said, just as he wanted to hear from her.

"Oh, of course, Miss Hopps. I would've given it to you earlier, but I couldn't hear you clearly enough."

Judy replied Nick with a decent smile. But that was all Nick needed in this strange situation.

"Jerk."

'Time to check how innocent that bunny really is,' Nick thought and watched Judy how she set the water bottle on to her lips and started drinking but at the same time Nick leaned over to her and whispered in her ears.

"You know that was our first indirect kiss whiskers…"

The reaction was immediate, Judy swallowed terribly and started to cough. After some moments she caught herself and began to yell at Nick.

"Why Nick, why? Can I not even drink something in peace?"

"Whiskers you should know, that nothing in this world is free. You always have to pay the price and teasing you is the best payment I can imagine for myself." Nick chuckled and saw the white fur around her muzzle turn into a very pink tone. A calm was now falling over their little private conversation but of course not for long.

"There has something to be with gangster limousines and us both in it. I mean Mr. Big and now this? Can't be a coincidence," Judy said and smiled at Nick.

Nick leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes and smiled.

"Oh Carrots, if you really want to shake the criminal world as much as you say. I have the odd feeling we will find ourselves more often in such situations. But don't worry I will stay with you to the end."

Judy leaned back herself and was apparently happy with Nick's statement. The car was slowing down and a quick gaze out of the window revealed their destination.

'Huh? It's been a long time. Never thought we would meet someone so infamous here,' Nick thought and

"Are we there?" Judy asked and stood up to look out of the window

"Yes, whiskers and you will not like it," Nick replied.

"Why?"

"You will see or better...hear, what I mean. Can you wait outside? I have to search for something."

Nick looked through the front pocket of his guitar case and found what he looked for. Initially, he wanted to give this to Judy before the concert starts but there was no time, and now they'll fit even better.

"Gotcha. Well, you two bad boys will help a certain lady not to lose her hearing," Nick said with a grin and made his way through the dark interior of the limousine and towards the door.

 **Judy**

Finally, Judy was glad to see the skyline of Zootopia directly above her and to find no more than one tiger in a suit around them. She awaited anything by now an attack, a grim talk with a mobster boss outside of Zootopia or just something that would end her and Nicks life before it had even begun.

'Judy you're fine. Nick is with you, he knows this world, more or less and if he isn't too afraid of what is coming than you shouldn't be as well,' Judy thought to herself and felt a shower of relaxation wash over her body.

Which was suddenly followed by another shiver, that went down her spine and a blush that built up in her cheeks. But that one was utterly external, and Judy needed a moment to realize that Nick was exiting the car backward. His tail was brushing over her whole back and especially her sensible tail. She tried to say something to him, but the feeling she experienced was so overwhelming, that all that came out was a little moan.

"Ahh..."

Judy's paws went instantly to her muzzle before she could even realize the movement of said paws. Here she was standing and waiting for a gangster boss to talk to them, with her future police partner and being suddenly turned on by him brushing his tail over her back. Only one thought went through her mind, 'Oh god, Judy why?'

"Did you said something, Carrots?" Nick asked

"N-No...Nothing," Judy replied, though she had the feeling that he could sense her tension. Nick had a talent for such things, or maybe it was just her changing scent that made him aware of something.

'Get a hold of yourself, girl. You've have other things to worry about besides Nick and what he is for you,' Judy thought and knew that the logical part of her mind was right. It was just so incredibly difficult to silence all the other voices. Mostly because they were so much louder than her rational thoughts, at least that's what always seemed to happen to her when Nick was nearby.

He was now out and stood behind Judy's back, but Judy couldn't see his face. She could feel her cheeks burning from the uncontrolled moan and her tail twitching like crazy and that just when he stood behind her. He seemed to be worried because the next words were no joke or teasing.

"Everything alright, Carrots?"

'But was there really a need to whisper directly into my ears? No...dumb fox. Relax and now come on Judy say something halfway intelligent to him,' Judy thought and tried desperately to grasp any thought at all.

"Yeah. I am fine."

Fortunately, the tiger was ready to take them into the club. Nick gave Judy a signal, and both of them followed him, and as strange as it sounded Judy wanted nothing more than to leave this awkward situation behind. Nick trotted slowly by her side, but Judy had to stop right in front of the club and didn't know if she should smile or make a stern face. Their aim was just one nightclub between a lot of other bars and Nightclubs on the 'Catwalk,' a street in the downtown area of Zootopia and famous for its excessive Clubs, Casinos, and Bars. Judy had already done some night shifts with other officers, and their plan brought them also to this wicked place. All in all, their aim seemed to be nothing special from all the other clubs here, if there wasn't this enormous billboard over the entrance that announced in bright neon colors the name of the club, and this was "Between Heaven and Hell,." Judy had to admit Nick appeared to be right with his assumption.

'I know why I wanted that sly fox as my partner…,'Judy Smiled for a short moment. It was now almost 7 pm and the 'Catwalk' slowly filled with more and more mammals, which were eager to celebrate, dance and drink probably too much alcohol. Judy's gaze wandered back to the club and then to Nick.

The red fox was of course still beside her and walked with his typical smirk up to the bear in front of the club. There was, of course, also a row of mammals in front of the club but Nick didn't care, he started to walk directly towards one of the mammals. A bear noticed Nicks approach and just like Nick, the bear slowly started to grin at him. Even when Judy should have known better but nonetheless she was bewildered what happened next.

"Hi Luke, how are you doing?" Nick said in his carefree way, almost as if he had forgotten where they had to go to and thought this would be an evening with Judy and some delicious cocktails in a nice bar where he knows the barkeeper.

"Hey, Nick! Longtime not seen. Well, ya know still the old bullshit going on, ya know what I mean...how is the band doing, Nicky?"

"Oh they are fine, I'll take a long hiatus, but I guess they'll manage."

Surprise appeared in the face of the brown bear who stood like a professional in front of this club and replied shocked, "You quit? Why?"

"Nothing big, I'll leave the town for a while. But the guys have a great replacement, hand picked by me. But enough of this old rascal of a fox How's your wife doing, Luke?"

'What is going on here? Did I miss something? How can he talk so nonchalantly with this bouncer?' Judy thought and felt as if she was in the wrong place at the wrong time . Everything around her felt more and more surreal.

"Ehm Nick?" Judy taped on Nick's shoulder, and suddenly Nick's attention was back on her but not like she thought. He slapped his paw on his forehead and apologized to the bear and the tiger. But through the whole situation, the tiger seemed not to bother, he stood there as if nothing that happened besides the two and waited, as if the whole thing had nothing to do with him.

"You're right, Carrots. Where are my manners? Luke, I like to introduce to you Judy Hopps, Miss Hopps Luke Winters."

"My pleasure Mr. Winters but, Nick that's not what I meant. Didn't we have to meet someone?"

Luke, the brown bear who was responsible for letting mammals into the club seemed nervous and asked the tiger by himself.

"Calv are they here for the boss? Why didn't you tell me?" Luke asked in a nervous voice.

"They're categorized as level five guests, and with that, they can take all the time they want." The tiger replied calmly.

"Okay, sorry Nick I thought you were just a normal guest."

"Ah don't worry, I'll say nothing to the big boss. And greet Barb from me, will ya?" Nick said.

"Will do, and you two. Welcome to the Club Between Heaven and Hell. I hope you'll enjoy your stay,"

'I doubt that I'll enjoy this,' Judy thought and smiled just mildly at him.

With those words, Luke opened the door, and at first, all they saw was pure darkness. Judy wasn't sure if she should walk right in. But again the tiger took the lead and was swallowed by the pitch black mass in front of them. Nick seemed to notice Judy's hesitation, he took her by her paw and moved on, but he took the time to give Judy an encouraging smile. Judy felt the blood rushing again into her cheeks and ears.

'Judy, he is just holding your paw, nothing more. He did this before so what is the Problem? There is none, that's it. I like it, to have his big warm paw holding mine...'

Judy snapped out of her daydream and recognizing that they went down a dark stairway and entered a small room where you could store your jackets or other things. A young female cougar in a formal red dress that looked more like a uniform seemed to be in charge of this area. Nick and Judy began to take a look around the expensive room, Thick red carpet on the ground and velvet wallpaper on every wall. The lighting in the room was not very strong and made everything look even more expensive.

"Please follow me," the tiger replied and entered the club through a swinging door. We could just hear the booming sound of high pitched techno music as he walked in and Judy tried to prepare herself for the upcoming earaches.

Just seconds before the young bunny entered the loud dancefloor, she felt how two paws covered her ears. She knew instantly that those two could only be Nick's. At first, she thought it was just a nice gesture, but after some seconds she felt how Nick put some earplugs carefully into her ears. While Judy adjusted the plugs to her ears, she turned towards Nick and saw just his typical smirk. Without asking any question, Nick started to explain, and to Judy's astonishment, she could understand every word he said. It was muffled but understandable.

"You mentioned after the Gazelle concert, that you had earaches for multiple days after, so when I was yesterday in the music store where I bought new strings for my guitar, I also bought this for you... I wanted to give it to you before the concert, but I forgot, sorry."

Nick said and held his paw open. Judy saw earplugs but formed as little carrots. A smile flashed over Judy's face when she saw it, and without any warning, she gave him a short hug. Judy could again feel his warmth, and she wished herself for a brief moment that she could stay forever like this and not go to an unknown mammal.

"Thanks but I can still hear you?" Judy asked confused.

"Oh whiskers that's normal, they reduce the sound not wipe it completely out," Nick replied and looked with an unfriendly gaze towards the dancefloor. "How I hate this music," Nick said and sighed deeply.

Judy nodded and signaled Nick that they better follow the tiger. The first step into the club area was overwhelming: loud, flashing and crowded. Judy was confused and couldn't go on at first, but again it was a good thing that Nick was by her side. Not that she was frightened but she just wasn't used to places like this, and besides this, Nick knew the location, the mammals and maybe even more

.

Nick placed his paws on Judy's shoulders and began to maneuver her through the club past the dancing mammals and the still too loud music. Judy could see all different kind of mammals, foxes, wolves, deer and even some bunnies were here and celebrated whatever they wanted to celebrate. All of them had one thing in common, and that was the lack of clothing. Some of the female mammals wore so few and so small clothes that it reminded her of the Night Howler case, where she and Nick had visit 'Mystic Springs Oasis', well not entirely but almost.

After some minutes walking over the dancefloor, Judy was sure that those earplugs prevented her from days of troublesome earaches. Besides . . . Nick's paws on Judy's shoulders seemed to relax her, up to the point where she almost forgot what was happening around her. Not even alone in her own apartment when nobody was around was Judy as calm as this. She didn't know why. It sometimes scared her to think of a day where she couldn't see him, where she couldn't hear his voice or where she couldn't get a hug from him.

To think of more than just a hug was ridiculous, of course, Judy wanted more, by now she was clear about this, but what would happen when she asked, and through this, she would lose everything?

'Come on Judy do or do not, there is no try. I need to talk to him…,' She thought to herself.

They were still following the tiger, first through the VIP lounge, then the office part and now the two of them were standing in front of a wooden wall. Calv or whatever the tiger's name was knocked against the wall and without a response slid the two wood panel to the side and revealed another room with a panther in it, who seemed to wait for Judy and Nick. The room itself looked like a waiting room with an expensive canape on the left side and a bar, with a lot of colorful bottle on the wall behind it and a smiling panther who stood at the counter. In front of Nick and Judy, just on the other side of the room was another heavy looking door.

The two felines nodded at each other, and it seemed that the panther was now taking over the support from here on.

'How many mammals are involved in this suspicious activities? Until now there were two tigers, a wolf, and this panther. All of them seemed well trained in what they're doing. Nick is right they can't be compared to some street criminals…,' Judy thought but never took her gaze from the other mammals.

The panther was now walking towards them, and the tiger with the name Calv stood himself beside the open wall, outside of the waiting room. He was nothing more as a guard or so it seemed. In contrast to the tiger the panther seemed to know how to smile. Like the tiger he wore a black suit, but he had a red bowtie. Judy didn't know why but he looked more friendly with one of those.

"Ms. Hopps, Mr. Wilde, it's a pleasure to meet you two. Wow, the hero of the city and the fox who helped her. It's a real honor. My name is Lenny if you need something, just say it. Maybe I can get you something? Some drink maybe? And don't worry everything is on me tonight." Lenny said with a smile and made a welcoming gesture.

"No, thanks," Judy and Nick replied simultaneously, but this time no one of the two looked to the other, the tension was just too big right now.

"Very well, one last door and you are at your aim," Lenny said with a wide grin. He walked from around the corner and towards the last door.

They followed him slowly. Again, Judy started to be nervous but tried to hide it as good as she

could. The last door opened, and both entered into the room together with Lenny walking behind them. He immediately closed the door, as soon as they were in.

The only thing they could see was a small smiling red panda on the other side of the enormous round table in an otherwise comfy looking room which looked just as expensive as the other ones they already went through. Nick looked for a moment at Judy before they sat on the seats that were reserved for them. Judy was surprised, she expected a bigger mammal, maybe even a lion. But a red panda…?

Lenny, the panther, stepped behind his boss and kept an eye on both of them but his smile was not vanishing.

"Good evening you two! It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Please feel comfortable and relax. We are just here to talk a bit." The red panda said with an arrogant smile. It was that smile that made Judy know for sure that she didn't like him and probably never would.

"Also a good evening to you Sir," Nick replied for both of them. Judy just nodded and tried to evaluate the red panda. Everything here was odd, the red panda in his fancy suit and of course this hidden place in a nightclub in the amusement district of Savannah Central.

"So, first things first my name is Void, and I invited you two today to discuss your future. Or better the decisions you will make in the future and what for consequences you will have to expect," Void said.

"Our future? Well, you don't seem to be a fortune teller." Nick replied and smiled back at the small mammal.

Besides his sarcastic comment, Nick was suddenly very serious, no smirk and no smile. But the reaction he got was a little chuckle from the red panda.

"Oh, believe me, I'm a highly professional fortune teller, Mr. Wilde, but I'm not looking into a glass sphere. No, my window to the future is a computer screen and data. Lots and lots of data, which I convert, process and filter. The rest is just simple conclusions. But you will see."

Judy and Nick sat quietly on their chairs and listened to him.

"So let's come to the important things. I have a little present for you two, Lenny, would you please?"

"Of course, Sir," Lenny happily replied .

The panther who watched Judy and Nick until now took a small casket in front of Void and came over to the side of the table. He took out two black cards and gave one to Judy and one to Nick. The young doe held it in her paw and looked at it from every side, but to Judy, it seemed to be just a black credit card.

A quick look at Nick showed Judy that this card was more than this. His eyes widened in shock as if he saw an object that couldn't exist in this world.

"Nick? Is everything okay?"

Judy laid her right paw on his arm and tried to bring him back but he was deeply in his own thoughts, and he needed some moments before he recognized the grey paw on his arm.

"I searched years for this thing and thought it was all just a fairytale but...but it's real," Nick said, and a little smile appeared around his muzzle.

"Of course it's real, Mr. Wilde. It seems you know what this is?"

"This is a 'Wildcard', a blank check for a wish or an order the owner of the card has and which you a member of the God's Paw have to fulfill."

Judy was again confused. 'Why did he give something like that to us? What are his intentions? All of this gets stranger and stranger...,' Judy thought and tried to make sense out of this, but she couldn't not until now.

"Correct Mr. Wilde but I think I need to clarify the options you have with this card."

A devilish smile appeared on the face of the red panda. Void enjoined this conversation way too much.

"The card you hold in your paws is the highest Wildcard that exists. The others are platinum, gold, silver, and bronze but that is just for your information. All black wildcards are bound to a single mammal and can't be transferred to another mammal. You may be asking yourself what you can do with them? With this one, you have five options to choose from. First, We'll find one mammal for you. It doesn't matter who or where this mammal is. Second, you'll receive any information available about a certain topic, event or mammal, we will even gather information from the ZBI or other sources which are normally top secret. Third, you can get with this card 10 Million dollars in one week, clear and fresh, no black money. Fourth, you can destroy the life of one mammal, no physical harm will be done to them. Fifth, you can order the assassination of one mammal, it doesn't matter who it is. Of course, it is your own decision if you want to use this card or not. Do you have any questions?"

Judy was in shock and started to understand why Nick was so perplexed about this card.

'How can something like this exist? Who are these mammals? And the most critical question for me why did Nick want such a card? So many questions in my head...it's time to clear some of those,' Judy decided and looked over to the Red Panda.

"For whom do you work?"

"For the ones who can pay for it or for our ourselves." Void replied grinning and played mindlessly with one of the black cards. His white ears twitching permanently as if he could miss any information or any word that was spoken in the room.

Nick was back in the conversation, and it seemed that he had some questions as well.

"You have no reference customers?"

Void smiled and knew what Nick wanted to know.

"Mr. Wilde, I can assure you that we are neutral. We take orders from gangster bosses, companies, the ZBI and we would also take orders from the ZPD, but unfortunately, your group doesn't have the financial opportunities to pay our prices."

'What even government agency like the ZBI? How far does this go? How deep is this rabbit hole we are heading into?' Judy thought and looked to Nick. The bunny saw that Nick was concerned, but he also wore his mask with his typical smirk, 'I could not read his state of mind?'

"And like Mr. Wilde said in the car, we are ghosts, no one knows us, we don't exist. There are no papers about us or other documents that confirm our whereabouts or our real names. If we even have real names."

Nick and Judy's eyes widen again. They were monitored, and Judy felt that a storm slowly started to grow in her, but she tried her best to keep calm.

"Why?" Judy said and needed all her concentration to show nothing of her anger.

"Ms. Hopps this is my job. I know things." Void sad, and there it was again this smug smile of him. He even chuckled again, and he seemed more than satisfied with his vague statement. Judy kept calm but thought to herself, 'I would like nothing better than punch him in his face, but I also need to know more.'

"Okay now to the most important question, why are you doing this?" Judy asked.

His eyes started to glow, and his devilish smile grew even more extensive. But both of them didn't expect the answer that would follow.

"Entertainment." Void said. He leaned back and enjoyed the show which would start in a second. He knew Judy Hopps too well, so much was sure.

"WHAT?!"

Judy wanted to step on the table, but Nick held her back. He had his paws on her shoulders, not forceful or even to hurt her, just a light pressure to keep me down. A look in his eyes got her back on her chair seat, it soothed her and Judy was thankful, that Nick was now taking the lead in the conversation.

"Easy Carrots, easy," Judy exhaled profoundly and let Nick continue this conversation.

'Entertainment! As if we're nothing but an attraction or some freaks he can watch to his amusement,' Judy thought.

"What do you mean with 'entertainment'?" Nick asked and looked straight at the grinning red Panda.

"You have to know the action in my job gets at times, let's say underwhelming. A hack here, social isolation of a mammal there. Pretentious to say but I'm untouchable like you said I'm like a ghost that can manipulate everything and anyone out of the shadows but has to fear zero consequences. Even the agency or the government don't touch my business, no they even use it for their daily work. I had expected so much of them, even for another famous agent bunny which sat in your position ten years ago. But no they all failed. Hypocrites all of them, without exception. And then, a year ago, a little sheep asked for my help. She wanted the name of a chemist, and I gave her one. The rest of the story should be quite known to you."

Void was now staring at the ceiling, thinking how he could proceed with his story or just using the moment as a dramatic break.

"But it all changed when a little bunny moved to the big city to become a cop. It was hilarious at first, but then I was amused about the progress you made with Mr. Wilde. I have to thank you that I could watch your teamwork – it was just great. SO much entertainment. And then you even closed the case, brought Bellwether into prison and live happily ever even after – the end. It was too good to be true, and that made me skeptical. No one is that good, we all have our dark secrets, our little lies, and hidden desires. There are no heroes in this world, believe me, I lived long enough to see them all fall over time. So I searched through your complete background and do you know what? Nothing. No problems in school, or with the parents or drugs or whatever. You are clean. I couldn't believe it, so I dug even deeper and hacked your phone. And again nothing, no disturbing pictures, no compromising messages, etc. Just some chattering with friends, your sister Jessica and your brother James. Oh and a close friend . . . I believe Fru was her name and your talk about a crush. You're really as idealistic as you behave. That is no play, that is you. And on the other hand, we have here Mr. Wilde, the fallen son, and his hustling career, he is the opposite of you in every possible way, and that is the thing I don't understand. How do you work so well together?"

Judy was emotionally devastated. Void could see everything of her life. He heard her phone calls, read her messages, saw her photos. Judy couldn't go on with this conversation. It was one thing when a criminal attacked an officer during the job but to be exposed in front of that criminal up to the point where he knows everything about you.

Judy felt Nick's soothing gaze and his warm paw again on her shoulder. She looked up to him and knew he would continue where she couldn't. Nick was here for Judy, and he wouldn't go away. She knew it.

"That is something you couldn't understand," Nick replied, his paw still on Judy's. For the first time in this conversation, his facial expression darkened and he became reluctant.

"Maybe, but who cares. I'm not here to understand everything. In the end, not knowing something makes everything more interesting."

Nick was now more than pissed about Void and his little 'investigation' of Judy's private life and partly his own. But he kept it together mostly because he knew these kind of conversations.

"Your little story doesn't explain why you give us the cards? Or did I miss something?" Nick replied and showed his smug grin, which was by now just an act of rebellion.

"Patience Mr. Wild, Patience."

Void was smiling again. If Judy could right now walk over to him, she wouldn't just use her paws on him, no she asked herself more and more if her father still had the fox taser?

Judy didn't know what changed, but Void became suddenly severe and started to tell the two a story. One she had never heard before about Zootopia, the place she adored ever since she knew that it existed and especially since Detective Deckard had invited Judy to become a police officer when she was a kit.

"In the last twenty-seven years, one organization dominated the underworld of Zootopia. They called themselves just "The Company" and gained over the years more and more influence over courts, government, police, the agencies and of course the town itself. At the moment nobody tries to challenge them, neither in crime nor in any legal manner. Why you probably ask yourself? Because they're working strictly together and have the mammals and the structure to prevent anyone from opposing them. They can act fast, precise and extremely hard. Your little friend Mr. Big is one of their last enemies but he will fall like everybody else, and then this town is then completely their property. And believe me against the lunatics in "The Company" is Mr. Big like an honest citizen who would only act for the right of the population of Zootopia. The Gods Paw is neutral so we will not fight in any way. The ZBI has not the guts to take them on, and the ZPD is too weak and to limited to do anything at all."

Judy began to believe he was just lying. An organization like this couldn't exist, at least not without evidence, or clear members. Somebody had to do something?

"You're kidding, right? You really want to tell us that the whole city is over years controlled by mobsters?" Judy said in utter disbelief, but Void replied, "Oh Ms. Hopps, I wouldn't call them mobsters. Honest citizens and members of the society that is what they are. You'll find no accusation against any of them just stories and rumors." Void replied.

For a short moment, Judy looked behind Void and to Lenny the guard, who stood there and watched with an indifferent gaze over her and Nick. After some seconds he looked directly at Judy and gave her smile, which was enough for Judy to Void and his story.

"You're kidding, right?" Judy replied not able to believe what this mammal told her. Judy didn't know how many of those mind breaking reveals he could offer them today or was this all just a big joke? At this point, Judy wasn't sure anymore, and Void seemed to feel that Judy wasn't buying this story at all.

"The truth is never easy and rarely pure. Tell me Mr. Wilde is the mammal who said that an ancestor of yours?" Void replied and grinned at Nick, and as Judy's gaze turned to her right, she saw a very severe and stiff fox looking back at the young doe.

"He is not lying Judy. It's the truth."

"What? Nick please not you too."

"I told you about the 'rules' that I imposed to myself right and about the dark and shady places?"

Judy nodded but the only thing she was sure at this moment was that Nick told her the truth and nothing else. And that scared her.

"Sooner or later you have two options as a criminal in this city. Live a half legal life like me or join them. But if you join, there are no more rules to follow, you just have to obey whatever they command you to do."

With every word that was added to the conversation, Judy saw Zootopia more and more as the illusion it really was and not anymore as the glorified place where everyone can live together in harmony.

"Ms. Hopps, who many mammals do you think died in Zootopia last year through murder?" Void asked and folded his paws. The black card was laying again in the casket.

"If we take the ZPD data then two. Why?"

"Unfortunately, I have to inform you that this is just the cases you found. The original number is much higher. To be exact, 735 died in Zootopia last year, most of them through the Company."

"Okay," Judy thought that she crossed the point where anything could shock her, but she had to admit this became with every minute more and more ridiculous and she felt how a storm of anger was rising in her and slowly came to the surface. But what finally left her muzzle was a chuckle, and she began to shake her head in disbelief.

"And how many died because of you?"

"Twelve." Void answered immediately as if he had waited for the question.

'He has no shame for what he did,' Judy noted, 'no guilt or any other sign of regret. He's completely at peace with himself. I only saw something like this once, and that was in the Natural museum on Dawn Bellwether's face when she pointed the dart gun at Nick and pulled the trigger.' Judy's mind snapped back to the current situation and the mammal in front of her.

"What do you want to prove?" Judy asked, her arms crossed in front of her chest, the small and desperate chuckle was long gone

"I want to prove that anybody can die at any time, without being noticed and that even in the rows of the ZPD are mammals that corrupt the system. Nobody is safe in this city and death always walks some feet behind you." Void said

Smiling and waiting for a reaction Void was sitting there in his chair and observing Judy and her fox partner on the other end of the table.

'No, I will not give him the satisfaction to show my bewilderment. Not here, not with him. For the first time in my life, I just want to go but I can't. Not without Nick, not without knowing everything there is to know,' Judy thought and looked with a stern face at the red panda.

"I still don't see where we fit in this story?" Judy asked.

And this time it was Nick who answered the question.

"He wants that we take on the company, Carrots. These cards are just a little present and a small advantage to start a fight with them. But I don't understand why? We are not related to them? We could take this cards, get the 10 Million bucks each of us, leave Zootopia and live a careless life. So isn't this card a pretty high risk for someone as smart as you?" Nick asked and seemed to think that he had found a hole in the logic of the small mammal.

"Oh, you both are more than related to this story. You two were related to this long before you were even born. Despite that, do you really think Mr. Wilde that Ms. Hopps can easily ignore the things I mentioned moments ago? That she can ignore the dying mammals, the money laundering, the drug dealing, the blackmailing, the mammal trafficking or the corruption? And you Mr. Wilde were involved in all of this even before Miss Hopps even joined the academy."

Judy's head turned to Nick, but she could feel that he was dead serious about his next words, "I never worked for the company and never will."

"Oh that's true, but I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about someone you searched for a very long time. The one for whom you gathered all this money to get one of these Wildcards. It's time to talk about your father Mr. Wilde, and oh yes, we know that you have collected a large amount of money over the years."

Nick's face was dead, no reaction, no smirk, nothing and in a certain way was this dead face what scared Judy the most during the whole conversation. That was not the Nick she knew and somehow loved. This mammal was somebody completely different. Judy didn't know what happened between Nick's father and him, but it seemed to have opened some deep scared over wounds.

"At least you should clear this topic with your future partner. Don't you think so Mr. Wilde?" Void said and leaned back in his massive chair, which was definitely built for larger mammals.

"Nick you don't have to talk about this now, it's…," Judy began, but Nick interrupted her immediately, "No Judy he's right. Sooner or later I had to tell you this, and there's no way around for me."

Judy knew that this was one of the last big topics in Nick's life that he shared with nobody. And now it was again her with whom he wanted to share this memory and unfortunately also with Void.

"Carrots you need to know this to have a better understanding of my mother and me. Neither is that a very long nor happy story."

Nick exhaled deeply, and Judy saw the curiosity in Voids eyes. He was eager to gain that information and to put it to his little collection. With pleasure, Judy wanted just to walk over to Void and punch him, but she guessed that Lenny wouldn't like it

"You...you have to know my father left us when I was four, Patty was not even born. I don't know why he left, the only thing I know is that mum cried a lot in the night he left the house and never returned. But that's all in the past, and I stopped to care about this or him. This was also a major point in the disputes that let my mother and me drift apart. She simply doesn't care about him, and she didn't want to tell me why. But I wanted to meet him, and I worked my ass off for that aim." Nick said and looked to his folded paws.

"But why do you wanted to meet him?" Judy said and laid one of her paws on his left arm.

"After I left Mum and Patty, I felt more aimless than ever before in my life. I wanted to meet him to know if he is like me. Or better if I'm like him, that I also would leave everything behind and didn't want to look back, that I don't feel anything about them and that it will be easy for me...but it wasn't. That's the reason I wanted to find him, but in the end, I gave up. He can stay in the company and be a henchman for them…," Nick said and closed for a moment his eyes.

Void was chuckling over the comment of Nick. Judy and Nick looked at him with anger in their gazes.

"I wouldn't call him a henchman. Not at all."

Judy knew by now that he wanted to tell them something, but not immediately, there was joy all over his face, and he was playing with them, and Judy didn't like it. Not one bit.

"What do you mean with that?" Judy asked in an aggressive tone.

"He is not a henchman, he is one of the leaders of the Company. One of seven mammals that are leading the most dangerous organization in the known world. And I'll tell you something else. Because I like you, I'll give you the names of the seven leaders. How does that sound?" Void said.

"Why would you do that?" Judy asked

"I told you, I like you, didn't I? Well of course just the internal code names because everything else would be too easy. And to sooth you Ms. Hopps, I'll add a little bit extra for the hacking of your phone. I'll give you a little bit of internal information about the company and Mr. Wilde Seniors doings." Void said and began again to smile, but this time it was crooked and unpleasant to look at. Judy just wanted to punch him for that smile. She wanted to hit him for a whole day and see what would remain of this smug and fluffy face of his.

"Okay go ahead, I like to know what we are dealing with," Judy said and had to clench her teeth together to not appear too aggressive.

"The main members are mammals with the names: Peacock, Owl, Hawk, Mother Goose, Crowe, Crane and of course Kingfisher, your beloved father, Mr. Wilde. Better known in the world of crime as Kawasemi or just as King to his subordinates and enemies. But you...you know under the name Adrian Wilde. He leads the executive power of the company. From the 735 cases of murder, 649 were done under his command. In 86 of this cases, he pulled the trigger personally. As you can see every member of the company with a slightly higher rank gets the name of a bird. Dumb if you ask me because this sets you only to limitations but I'm no member so why should I care."

At first, Nick was perplexed about this newly gained information. He learned about a new site of his father, and Judy hoped it wouldn't hit him too hard that his own father was a killer. Every other mammal would sink into a hole of self-doubt.

But to Judy's surprise, she saw that his typical smirk was returning and for this to happen she was more than happy.

"So Ms. Hopps, Mr. Wilde what do you think? Is this a case for you? Do you want to make the world a better place?" Void said those last sentence with so much sarcasm that Judy began to clench her fists. But she came this far, she had to hold out, and everything would be fine again.

Judy was unsure what she should do. All this information which were now in her mind, her head was dizzy, and she just wanted to leave this place and never return. It was a long day, and Judy just wanted it to end. All the good things that happened today felt so shattered and irreparable, and the things that lay ahead felt like death awaits them any minute now.

But then she felt how Nick squeezed her right paw under the table. He had his smirk on his muzzle and was looking directly in her eyes with his soothing emerald ones. And Judy could feel how her energy was slowly coming back to her, maybe just for the moment, but she didn't need more at the moment. The young doe took the wildcard from the table and put it in the pocket of her jeans.

"What do you think, Whiskers? How long do we need for all of this? Six years? I don't want to take so long for this, because you know my vacations and weekends are sacred. And this seems to kill a lot of free time," Nick said and stretched his arms behind his back until he heard a crackling sound.

Void was confused. For the first time in the whole conversation, the red panda didn't know what happened. 'The hustler struck once more,' Judy thought and felt how the anger slowly disappeared and her overall mood lifted. She was glad that she had him by her side.

'And this is the reason I love that fox…,' Judy thought and looked over to Nick before she began to spoke.

"I think five years should be enough. I don't want to annoy myself with this cases when I'm in my 30s. You know some of us to want to achieve something in their life. So are we done here Void? Nick is going to the academy tomorrow, and I don't have the desire to stay in this place all night."

Void's jaw dropped a bit, and this was apparently not the ending he wished for this conversation. But his devilish smile was back on his face relatively fast.

"And one last thing, I don't know who you are, but one day I will find it out and then you will pay for what you have done. No one is untouchable...not even you," Judy said and pointed with her index finger at him, "Sooner or later I'll get you for this."

"Ms. Hopps, you will see that there way bigger and even crueler monsters in this world than me," Void replied.

Void was just smiling back at her and Judy thought,' He doesn't take me seriously. He will see what he has from that.'

"Mr. Wilde any last threats towards me, like your partner?" Void asked, but Nick didn't reply. He just brought two fingers of his right paw to a little salute and left together with Judy. If Nick's smile could speak, it would probably say 'You underestimate this little bunny? Big mistake. But hey your life, not mine.'

"Thank you for the nice conversation Mr. Void. I hope we'll meet again and if you see my father anytime, tell him he can go to hell." Nick said while we walked out of the room behind Judy, waving at Void over his shoulder.

Judy and Nick for a short moment looked at each other and walked without talking back to the limousine, which was still waiting for them to take the two back home. At the back door of the black limo stood with the tiger who had brought them here. Luke, the bouncer, brown bear, and friend of Nick was occupied with some troublesome guests and didn't even notice that they left the place.

Halfway to the limo, Judy stood still and so did Nick. The fox was surprised about the sudden stop and leaned towards Judy.

"Come on, Carrots, I take you to your apartment," Nick said.

"Could...could we please go to yours and talk? It would be pretty important for me, Nick." Judy said while she looked directly at Nick.

"Ehmm sure we can. Why the sudden change?"

"No change, just a decision. You'll see, Slick." Judy replied and smiled at him. She hoped that all of this would work out in the end. Maybe if the things that were coming work out okay, they have perhaps a year together, maybe less.

'I mean before they take us down and the pressure gets too high. But I don't go without a fight or a bang at the end. And I think that Nick would like the idea, maybe even more. This has to work, I can't do this without him, I need him. I… I have to talk to him. If we don't have more than a year why should I hesitate to ask how he feels about me and what he thinks about our future? I have to go all out, I don't care anymore...' Judy thought and went directly to the door of the limousine.

 **Lenny**

"They hustled you boss. You should have seen your face." Lenny said and took a short look over his shoulder. The red panda rolled his eyes for a moment.

"Oh shut up, Lenny." Void replied half amused, his arms crossed on his back and walking behind the large feline.

"Come on boss, no one had the guts to challenge you in this way. Not even Savage and you thought he could do it," Lenny said with a chuckle.

"Yeah that's true, but I guess they also don't know what lays ahead of them. Besides that, Jack Savage was really just for my entertainment with those two we have much bigger plans," Void replied and sounded as tired as Lenny felt.

They both followed through an underground tunnel, which was just barely illuminated and which led them from the nightclub to a hidden and small parking lot. They would reach the tunnel at any moment, and Void could finally get to his car. Lenny would drive him to his apartment and call it a day. The whole last week was tiresome enough, and Lenny wanted nothing more than to sink into his own bed, even so, he tried to show no sign of fatigue or weakness. Just as he was taught to do.

They stood in front of the exit, which was a massive metal door which could only be unlocked through a keypad to Lenny's right. After the black panther entered the twelves number, they both heard the click of the lock and Lenny pushed the door open to the underground parking lot. It was empty and had enough space for at least twenty cars, but Lenny had seen never more than four at the same time standing here.

Lenny walked in front of Void and opened the front passenger door of the black and discreet sedan. Void always sat on the passenger seat, no matter what happened he needed to know what was going on. Not long until both sat. Lenny started the engine and Void connected like always his phone to the car's audio system. He did this for a reason, and this reason would call as soon as Lenny left the parking lot, and they had full connection to the mobile network again.

The drove for not more than three minutes when an unknown number called Void. With a smile, the red panda took the phone call, "I was waiting for your call. What took you so long?"

Some seconds passed until the mammal on the other side of the phone answered. The voice was deep but pleasant, Lenny knew the sound and the mammal which belonged to it, but he couldn't say that he liked him very much.

"I had work to do...but enough about me. How did it go?" The voice on the other end replied. Void leaned back in his seat and thought for a moment. Lenny knew he wasn't allowed to talk and so he remained dead silent.

'I have made this mistake once. Uh-oh. Will never happen to me again. I'll keep silent no matter what Void says,' Lenny thought. He tried eagerly to concentrate on the street, but the conversation drew him back in.

"It went perfectly, Ms. Hopps was a bit...let's say flustered about my methods but all in all, they took in the information and the Wildcards." Void replied.

"And what was with him? Anything unusual?" The voice asked. This time Void answered almost immediately, "Oh, Nick. He is truly the mirroring image of his father, but I would say he knows how to make a joke and even more he knows how to take one."

The voice didn't reply for a whole minute before they both could hear a deep exhale and the continuation of the conversation with a harsh voice, "Good we'll give them time until after the end of Nicholas's time at the Academy. Anything else I should know?"

"No . . . Wait! Yes, there's one thing. I'm supposed to tell you from Nick, and that is that you can, quote 'go to hell'," Void said with a little chuckle and the voice on the other end replied just with one small sentence before the connection went dead, "Very funny, Void."

"As I said, he can't take a joke." Void said and tipped in his code to unlock his phone. Another chuckle came from Void, but Lenny looked slightly uncomfortable at the smaller mammal. Void had already the phone back in his paws and was reading the news on it. Like always, Void read out loud some news reports and commented them instantly. He liked to do that whenever they were driving, or he was bored.

"Listen to this Lenny, Economic situation in Deertroit worsens – Are we close to an uprising of the local citizen? As if that rundown place could become any worse. Oh, or here, War of Yakuza and police in Izumo seems finally come to an end. Tse, it took the local branch of Izumo way too long to stabilize the situation. But, good news from the South Mammalia, Valeria Sanchez, Mayor of Catacas announced a new campaign against local drug lords. What a broken world we live in." Void said and scrolled further down the news.

"No news about Zootopia?" Lenny asked, but he already knew the answer.

"You know that we live here almost in a paradise, well maybe a false paradise but still. The worst thing happened here in the last time was Dawn Bellwether and even she was a calculated sacrifice," Void replied and red on. The red panda chuckled from time to time about new pieces of information or a new picture on his phone, while they drove through the colorful illuminated nightlife of Savannah Central and up to Voids apartment in the Downtown area. Lenny knew he could ask whatever he wanted but to criticize his boss was a completely different story.

"Sir, do...do you think it was a good idea to make fun of him like this?" Lenny asked carefully. Void began again to grin and replied, "No, of course not. But what would life be without risks? Besides we depend on each other, he has to endure me, if he wants it or not. Too much is at stake."

For a while they just drove on, Void continued reading on his phone and Lenny listened to the radio while he tried to keep to the speed limit. For a while, Lenny could push the thought that bothered him into the back of his mind but now when the talk was over, and Ms. Hopps and Mr. Wilde had left, it came back stronger than before. He somehow liked the two, they even seemed to him like a good couple, but he wasn't also no fanatic about interspecies relationships. Should everyone do whatever they want, as long as they went with the law? Besides, Lenny was never good in hiding questions when he had one, he needed clarity or at least a second opinion from someone else.

"Do you think they can do it? I mean take down the company? They seemed...well, close." Lenny asked and stopped at a red light, behind him a high car for giraffes and beside him two new and expensive cars. In each sat a Hyena, with pretty expensive looking clothes, on the driver seat and an equally young female hyena, with too much makeup on their faces and too few clothes on their bodies, on the passenger seat. The two drivers incited each other with uproaring of their engines and waited just for the moment that the traffic lights turn green. They finally did, and after some seconds of screeching tires, Lenny could only see the red back lights of their cars. Lenny started and drove on. Beside him, Void had stopped reading and looked now up to Lenny.

"Close? You mean love drunk but not aware of it. Tse, Love has never saved anyone. Especially not two mammals of different species. They'll tear them apart as soon as this becomes public, of course just, IF this ever develops into something serious." Void said, and Lenny didn't even want to imagine what would happen in town if this became the top news.

"Okay, but can they win?" Lenny asked again, and for once Void really seems to think about the question. After a minute he began finally to speak.

"Right now? With their current skills and knowledge? Without allies?" Void asked, and Lenny nodded slightly.

"No, in their current state they would just fight against windmills. Doomed to fail whenever they try a new attempt to attack. It would be a catastrophe. But...," Void broke in the middle of his thought and looked for some seconds out of the window.

"But...what?" Lenny asked.

"...But if they have allies or even a group...well, that would be something completely different. They must be loyal and skilled in different things. But let's be honest where should they find those mammals?" Void said and turned with a giggle back to his phone. But Lenny was back in his mind thinking about his words.

'Yeah, what if they have allies? I mean Ms. Hopps found Mr. Wilde during her first case, and he joined him. Why shouldn't others follow her and him too?' Lenny thought, and a smile appeared on his face.

* * *

 **Nick**

* * *

They just left the limousine behind them and were walking up to Nick's apartment building. Judy was unnatural silent during the whole drive, but Nick didn't complain, he had a lot to think through about his father, the company and what the future holds for them. And he wasn't sure about his decision with Judy, to not tell her how he felt. Because for him it would make everything even more complicated than it already is.

Nick opened the door to the building for Judy and bowed down to make it a little bit more dramatic.

"My lady." He said in a playful tone, even so, his mind was still somewhere else. But he tried to keep it together – for her.

Judy responded just in the same way and made a little courtesy. A smile appeared on Judy's face, and Nick thought, 'You probably try to uphold the same charade as I do, hmm, Judy?'

"My Lord," Judy replied.

With a static feed, she was on her way to the elevator. But every third step was a little jump or to say it in her way 'hop'.

'Judy seemed to be happy? Maybe anticipation of something she had planned? But it's not like we heard the best news ever. If we play the game well, we have a year together depending on whom of us they get first… she should know this. So why does she looks so damn happy?' Nick thought but couldn't come to a suitable conclusion. Strangely, all he could do was to be happy about the smiling face of the gray doe, even under the current circumstances.

Judy knew the way to Nick's apartment. In the short summertime, they had spent together, and when the weather didn't allow it to go outside, Nick showed her some of his most liked movies. Every time Judy tried to be a tough girl and watch them to the end, but it never happened. Nick remembered that most of the time she arrived already wholly exhausted from her days at work. And whenever she slept here, she slumbered like a stone on a huge pillow Nick had on his couch but he never played on his guitars for her, he didn't even tell her that he has this skill. Why? He couldn't say. Maybe he thought that there should be some mysteries left in the dark, even so, he knew by now that this was bullshit.

'How many times had I sit here and watched her sleeping? Hours and hours I was just sitting beside her watching her cute pink nose twitching and listening to the soft breathing. If we could just lay together and spent the night, or I could hold her in my arms, I would be the happiest mammal in the world.'

"Ehm Nick?"

Again, Nick was too deep in his own thoughts and didn't recognize what he was looking at the whole time. Well, it was the fluffy tail and the butt of the little grey doe he so much adored. But even now, when he was conscious, Nick couldn't turn his gaze from this lovely sight. And the mentioned doe stood there looking up to him with her amethyst like eyes and burning red ears and cheeks.

"Sorry, Carrots, I...ehm...I spaced out. Sorry." Nick tried to justify his actions.

"Oh,...okay."

Judy said and sounded almost a little bit disappointed. 'Did she like that? Nah, Wilde, you imagine things you wish were true.' Nick thought and get the key to his door out of his pocket.

Nick opened the door to his apartment and let her in. One of the other things he wanted to buy as soon as he had the money to afford it. An apartment that was his. This one was on the 14 floor, all his and he didn't need to think about any rent, and if he wanted in the future something else, he could sell it for a reasonable price, maybe even for the double, it was worth right now if the growth of Zootopia continued like this.

Besides the price wasn't too high when he bought the place. He knew the architect of this place, and he needed this terrain for this apartment building, but unfortunately, the owner of the land didn't want to sell for the price his friend the architect wanted to pay.

So this is where Nick came into the game, a little hustle here and there and a little bit of his handsomeness and voila the terrain price dropped by 45 %. And Nick got his own apartment for 10.000$. It was, of course, a special deal just for him and this lovely little apartment with four rooms, kitchen and living room in one, a balcony and a beautiful sight over the whole city was his. His apartment still looked like one from an exhibition, clean and shiny, but Nick didn't know how he should decorate this place of his, but it didn't matter because his favorite place was the large balcony and Judy loved the balcony. Whenever she was here, it was the first thing she did, walking outside and looking over the city. On that balcony, the time had no meaning for her, and as Nick watched her, he again realized that the same applied to him whenever he looked at her. Once again, he wished he was a bunny, everything would be so much easier. He would tell her right away what he felt and didn't have to deal with all those what if questions.

Nick was standing in the kitchen, which was just a part of his living room and made himself and Judy some tea. What was the most important thing, in the morning? Of course, it was a black tea to start his day. Did he need to survive a long day of hustling? Green tea with a little bit of lemon and his day was save. What to drink after a long and cold day on the streets? A light white tea to come down is always appreciated. And all of this just because Nick wanted to sell cheap tea to mammals who thought they know everything about it. So Nick had to know more than they know and learn to differ the sorts. Long story short, after a month he was addicted to this, well better tea than being addicted to cocaine or alcohol.

'Ah thinking about addictions,' Nick thought and walked outside to Judy with two cups in his paws and a smile around his muzzle. Nick knew that she spaces totally out when Judy stood here. For a moment, Nick smirked and held her cup directly under her muzzle. After some seconds he saw that her nose starts to twitch like crazy and five seconds later her big purple eyes lay on me.

"What is it this time Nick?" Judy asked.

"Smell and tell me, Carrots."

"Oh come on, you know my nose isn't as good as yours," Judy said and pouted.

"At least try, okay?" Nick begged her and saw how Judy closed her eyes and started to inhale the steaming water. Her pink nose twitched for some seconds before she bravely announced, "Peach, definitely peach. But I can't differ the other things…"

"Light white tea with peach and vanilla. Let it cool down a bit and then tell me what you think."

"Since when did you put vanilla in your tea?"

"Oh, mine has none of that, just yours. I noticed that everything you order has a hot drink has a vanilla component in it. And I thought it would be nice to add some to your tea."

Nick's smile seemed to reach her, but suddenly her face turned sad as if somebody had taken all the happiness away that was until now in her and locked it away. Both stood now at the railing of Nick's balcony, the wind moved their fur, but the light breeze was more than pleasant for the two mammals. In front of them laid Zootopia with its thousands of lights, the Skyscraper and the broad river which reflected the colors and lights of the inner city.

'If you look from up here, it almost looks like a paradise,' Nick thought but couldn't smile about this thought. It was again Judy who let him snap out of his daydream.

"Nick?"

"Yes, Judy?"

"What are we?"

"Well the last time I checked we were a fox and a little bunny, why do you ask?"

Her gaze turned from neutral to a little bit confused, but she also chuckled after she recognized how vague her question was.

"I thought you know what I mean."

Judy had no idea how much Nick understood what she wanted from him and that Nick needed all his strength to keep himself under control and not say what he wanted to say.

"Judy, what do you want to hear from me?"

She turned to me and looked with her big purple eyes directly up to Nick.

"Nick after all the things I heard today, I'm not sure if we can make this world a better place. Because everything looks so broken and miserable now. So many dead mammals, so much crime and no one could or wanted to do anything against it. Not the ZPD and also not the ZBI. And I think you know which rabbit agent he was talking about?"

'Oh, Judy. You have no idea how good I know the hare you're talking about.' Nick thought but had to keep quiet, he knew what could happen to Judy if anything of this became known to others than him, Jack or Skye. For now, he would play along, she would never believe him when he said that Nick Wilde had never heard of Jack Savage.

The sting in Nick's heart became more and more painful with every minute he watched the bunny beside of him. Judy looked so sad that the fox could almost not bear it.

"Yeah, I heard from him too, and I have the feeling that our path will cross in the future," Nick said and knew that this was true, because if there was one fact then that he and Jack had the talent to stumble upon each other every now and then.

Judy took a sip from her tea, and a small smile appeared on her face.

'Seems like the right combination of tea and this beautiful smile is all I need from you her, to make my day complete.' Nick thought and smiled back.

"You know, he was a reason for me to join the ZPD. I thought he was the ideal I could never reach. Some sort of superhero who waits in the dark and fights for right and order. You know, not for fame. Just to protect the weak and stand up for those who can't protect themselves. That's what my idea of a hero is. But I was stupid, a dumb bunny if you like to call it that. Maybe I should have done more? I don't know."

'Strange, I could accurately tell how she feels although I have not the same idealistic thoughts about a super bunny who protects the weak. I can feel what she means and that scares me. Because, until now I had only myself and that was more than enough for me, there was no one I had to look for or to protect in the past. Okay I helped my sister, but that can't be counted as help, it was a miserable act of brotherly love, not more.

But it was different with Judy, I had to think almost permanently how I can protect her and the crazy part is she knows how to defend herself, better than I ever could. It is almost ridiculous that I wanted to preserve someone who doesn't even need to be protected.' Nick thought and looked back to her.

"That's wrong Judy, I know someone who fits exactly in the description you presented me just moments ago," Nick said and smirked to her.

She chuckled lightly and drank a considerable part of her tea before she began to speak, "Oh yeah? And who should that be? Clawhauser?"

"No, it is a little bunny with the name Judy Hopps, you maybe don't know her but she is pretty idealistic and almost obsessed with the vision to make this world a better place. She also is damn good at fighting, shooting and so on and the bad guys are all scared of her. And all of her life she stood up for others without hesitation and without selfish thoughts."

She smiled down her cup and took the last sip of her tea. With a worried voice continued Nick his little speech.

"But I'm frightened that during the whole time our little bunny hero is making this world a better place she forgot something. Day, by day, by day a little bit get lost and over the time she feels that something is missing. Something important but she can't lay a finger on that thing. So she keeps going and proceed on her path for righteousness until one day she knew it was gone and it would never come back to her because it was too late." Nick said, and Judy saw that the fox beside her was now more than serious about his talk.

With a hard face, she looked over the city she once swore to protect. Her almost wet eyes were begging to hear the end of the story when she turned her head towards Nick.

"What did the bunny hero lost in all that time?" Judy asked and bite her bottom lip.

"She forgot her world, the mammals that hold her dear and the ones that try to make her world a better place. All get lost one after the other until nothing remains, beside of herself. And one day she will see the loneliness this loneliness will turn into anger, and the hero will become what she fought all the years of her existence. So in this logic of a hero, you either die as one or live long enough to see yourself become what you've fought all the time. Not because you turned into some evil creature of the night, no. It's because everything becomes meaningless and when you no longer care for rules or mammals, well in what do you want to believe then?"

"So you trying to tell me I should stop being a cop?" Judy asked and turned to Nick.

"No, what I want to tell you is that there are no heroes or villains just mammals like you and me which try their best and sometimes fail. Because that is what we can do the best try, fail and do better. And that it's important that we rely on those who are dear to us because there will be times in which we fall, and we need a helping paw that gets us back on our feet. Like you did for me."

"Nick, I did almost nothing for you."

"You did something so important for me, that it changed my whole life, so shush little bunny."

A big tear was rolling down on Judy's cheek, and Nick kneeled down and wiped it away with his right paw. But he couldn't stop after the tear was gone. Nick kneeled now in front of Judy, lost in time and was fondling her cheek. At first, Nick was frightened that she would go away and find it strange what he was doing, but she didn't. She stood there, closed her eyes and leaned into his paw and enclosed even Nick's paw with her own.

The heartbeat of the fox was going faster and faster, and he honestly had never felt something like this before. Of course, he was in a relationship with two or three vixens until now and also some interspecies things with other predators, but that was just about sex and nothing else. But this here was different, entirely different. Of course, Nick wanted Judy in a sexual way, almost every night he woke up from a dream about her. And he could go crazy every time she wore one of her beautiful dresses or even her police uniform. But this? Fur to fur with her? It was different than anything before.

She kept her eyes closed and snuggled more against Nick's paw and thought to himself, 'Oh Judy what are you doing to me?'

"Nick?"

"Yes, Judy?"

"Why is everything so complicated?"

"Do you want the hustler answer or the Nicholas Wilde answer."

She was still there with closed eyes and a relaxed expression. And Nick could feel that she enjoyed it with every second and every touch of his paw.

"I think we start with the hustler," Judy said with a chuckle. A smile was dancing over her face, but she still had her eyes closed. She loved the moment, and Nick could understand it.

"If life would be easy then it would also be boring. And that is something no one of us wants right? I mean it would be meaningless to hustle and just get the money without thinking or preparation. Then I can also go to legal work."

She chuckled slightly over my answer.

"Okay, and what would Nicholas Wilde tell me?"

Her smile had now almost something seductive, and her ears are long on her back and hanging. Judy was now totally relaxed, and Nick was sure about this, there was a simple formula to calculate that. Hanging ears plus closed eyes equal relaxed bunny. Nick's voice changed from the seductive hustler to the loving fox he tried to be for her. Maybe it's now finally time to say what's on his mind. He exhaled a last and was now sure of it, he had to tell her, he needed to or Nick would go crazy, even so, he would break his own vow.

"If life would be easy you had cracked the night howler case without my help in one night. If life would be easy, you had never met me, and you had saved yourself a lot of trouble in the past and in the future. If life were easy, you would have found a great buck by now, that treated you like you deserved it and not just a dumb fox like me." Nick said the last words with a stupid smile on his face, he knew it because by now he wasn't able to control his facial expressions.

With the last words, Judy opened her beautiful amethyst eyes and looked directly into his with a mixture of anticipation and concern. Nick didn't know why but slowly the tears started rolling down his cheek, and he couldn't stop.

"If life would be easy, then I would be a bunny, and I could ask you if you want to go on a real date with me, I could tell you that I love you more than anything else in the whole wide world and that I would do anything to make you happy and to protect you. But unfortunately, I'm just a dumb fox who is in love with a sly bunny, and he doesn't know what he should do to change that."

Nick's expectation at this moment was that Judy would shake off his paw and run to the entry of his apartment. Or that she would get angry but honestly, Nick couldn't see anything. Why? Well, he was too afraid of her reaction, and so he closed his eyes. Nick felt how she lets go of his paw and he was sure this day would end bitter for him. But he was wrong again. And boy how wrong he was, couldn't even be described.

Two small paws grabbed softly for Nick's cheeks. And the next he could feel were two little bunny lips which pressed against his. He couldn't ask for it to get any better but it would.

Judy ended the kiss and gave Nick a quick lick with her small tongue over his nose,

'This little teasing bunny,' Nick thought, and it was now the time for him to open his eyes and confront myself with the reality.

And it seemed that his new reality consisted of a little red blushed bunny that sat in front of him with a big smile all over her face. Judy didn't seem to bother what Nick said to her. No, she seemed to like it or better to love it.

"Judy, don't you find it weird that I'm in love with a little bunny?" Nick asked still careful with his words.

"Well Nick, I would say we are both weirdos then because, I'm in love with a fox. And this sly bunny here couldn't find a way to tell him."

Nick still thought that his ears played him a trick, but it was the truth. This was no one-sided game, they both wanted the same thing. For weeks they spend every day together, feeling the same and thinking alike but couldn't admit what others long saw. Patty was right, hiding doesn't make it easier, and from this moment on Nick couldn't hold it in, he just had to laugh. It was a slowly growing laughter, and Judy looked at first dazzled at him but also started to laugh. Time passed, but Nick couldn't tell how much and to be honest it didn't matter for him. They both sat there on the ground of Nick's balcony and laughed as if there was no tomorrow.

"We really are two fools, aren't we bunny?" Nick said and wiped the tears from his eyes.

Her little paws grabbed Nick by his collar and dragged him very close to her muzzle and again started his heartbeat to get faster.

"Yes, but do you know what Nick? You are my fool now, and I also love you more than anything else in this world. And like you I was too dumb to realize that sooner and too cowardly to admit it."

We both smiled our silly smile and leaned in, to a long and passionate kiss. Nick was back now and knew what he had to do. His right paw enclosed her back and his left one slowly stroke over her head and her sensitive ears.

After what could be forever their lips parted, but they stayed on the floor, forehead to forehead, feeling the warmth of the other and smelling the scent of the other.

'Oh, her delicate and sweet scent, you could put in a bottle and let me sniff it when someone had shot me, believe it I would come back from the dead. Even if I'm clinically dead,' Nick thought.

"Patty was right, we were a couple all along but couldn't see it," Judy said, her head leaned now against Nick's chest.

"Sometimes we are blind to the bigger picture, which is right in front of our eyes."

"Funny, your mum told me the same thing in the kitchen, while she was making the tarts. And she also told me something else…," Judy said and looked up from Nick's chest to the eyes of the fox.

"I hope no embarrassing stories about my childhood."

"Just two little stories to have a little bit of ammunition," Judy teased him while smiling her little smile and Nick loved it.

"No, she said that when a fox once decided for a partner, this decision is forever and so I thought…"

She stretched her paws out and took Nick's bigger paws into her own. Nick had the feeling that she did something essential and I didn't want to disturb her. If someone could see them from above, their paws and bodies would create a vast eight or for the better understanding an infinity symbol. I still didn't know what she did, but it seems to be some kind of ritual.

'Hopefully, it's Bunny magic,' Nick thought and chuckled about his own joke but became fast serious again.

"Your mum already told me that you would never leave my side, no matter what happened, so I thought today after the conversation with Void and all that we know now that it makes no sense to wait. Because of the struggle that lays ahead of us, I wanted to tell you how I feel about us but unfortunately, a sly fox was faster than me and took the first step." Judy said smiling.

"You know I'm always ahead of the game and … no, to be honest, I was desperate and didn't know how to tell you, so I placed the words in one of my stories."

"Don't worry Nick I know. But you also know that I am a bunny that likes to do the job properly, this will be no half done matter. I will whisper you a vow, and you will speak it after me, but I have to know are you really sure about us? Are you sure you want to stay by my side and never leave me? Are you sure you want to deal with a 278 bunny strong family and all of that fluff?"

"Judy there is nothing in my life I was so sure of. And besides, this handsome fox here already seduced the strong-willed daughter of the family, and I think some dozen siblings and two parents of yours should be no problem for me."

She smiled at Nick, and he knew she was sure, but he had to hear it from her, and for this, Nick had to be something he didn't like at all, and this was to be serious when it wasn't necessary.

"And are you sure you want to stick with a half broken fox family, with a stupid son and an awkward sister? A mother who lets emotionally almost no one near her and a father that seems to be a serial killer with unclear motives? I know the last point can pull you down tremendously, but I can assure you that the son is not the worst choice."

"Like I told you, Nick, I'm more than sure because if that weren't true, I wouldn't do what I'm doing next. So lean in and listen."

Nick leaned near her muzzle and listen to the words she was telling me. And for the first time in his life, it's him whose ears turned red, and his eyes grew wide. That was something even Nicholas Wilde hadn't expected from her.

"J-Judy are you sure with this? "

"How...how can you know what it means?" Judy asked perplexed, and for a moment Nick scratched his neck as if he wasn't sure that he should share this story with Judy.

"Well, I searched on the web for things bunnies like. And you know how this internet works, one link leads to another, and in the end, I have read about bunny rites and such things.I...I mean I'm sure but are you? I don't want to drag you into something you would regret."

She still smiled at Nick, no sign of mistrust or anger in her gaze or any other negative emotion. She was just happy.

"Yes Nick, I'm sure. And believe me, I will not leave you. I'm a bunny which stands to her words and actions," Judy answered and almost screamed those words at him.

"Don't worry Judy, I know that...Okay, then let's do it." Nick said and smiled.

They enclosed their paws, and they both started to speak this vow, that was for bunnies an important duty.

"You are mine,

And I'm yours.

From the cold of the sunrise,

to the heat of the sunset.

In sorrow and happiness,

In illness and health.

From now on,

Until the end.

I'm yours,

And you are mine."

Nick leaned over to Judy and sealed their words once and for all with a kiss on her lips. He was nervous, very nervous and looked with a smirk to his bunny. Something he could say from this moment onward, well at least to Judy. This vow was an old bunny tradition that was more than 400 years old and most bunnies today didn't even remember the combination of words or the meaning of the ritual. It's something that can be said only between lovers, and it's a promise to take over full responsibility for the life of the other mammal, someone you can always trust no matter what would happen.

"I thought this vow is nowadays almost forgotten, where do you know it from?"

"My parents said this words to each other on her wedding, but not one of my siblings which are already married have used this vow for their ceremony. I don't know if they just forgot it or if they are afraid of the implications it had. But I always wanted to say it with someone I really love and trust. And I know Nick, it's a huge burden, and it's exaggerated at this point and maybe too early and...and…" Judy said but was totally lost in her own thoughts, until Nick grabbed her cheeks with his paws and looked her deep in the eyes.

"Judy?"

"Yes?"

"Do you feel what you said, with all the implications?"

"Yes, I do."

"And so do I. This is from here on our way to go. And I'm more than willing to go it with you. And besides, you know what awaits us, we can never know how long we have together. To wait for a perfect moment in a year or so, to admit what we feel for each other seems meanwhile really stupid, if you ask me. And I told you, I made my decision and this one will not change."

All Nick could see was her twitching nose and the wet purple eyes of her, waiting with anticipation what would come next or preparing internally for something. And without warning, Judy jumped on Nick's chest and started to kiss him like crazy. Nick laid his paws on her back and gently stroke her, but she seemed to want more. Her paws took Nick's and let them slide down to her butt.

After a while Judy ended the kiss stood up from Nick's chest and held one of her paws to him, to help him up. But she didn't let go of him after they both stood on the balcony, no she dragged Nick with her into the living room, passing the couch and heading for his bedroom.

"Are you sure with this, Judy?"

Judy didn't turn around when she had pushed down the door handle of Nick's bedroom open. She knew that this was a pretty bold move, even bolder when Nick considered how she acted in the Mystic Springs Oasis, with all the naked mammals around them.

"I thought you read everything about the bunny ritual? How it's sealed and what has to be done?"

Judy turned her head and smiled at Nick. It took him a moment until he understood what she wanted from him.

'She awaited the hustler, which would take her instantly. But I'm now more than that. I'm her fox, her mate, and best friend. I don't want to make a mistake.' Nick thought and looked at her

"Yes, but…"

Nick heard her deeply exhaling, and he almost panicked because he thought he did already something wrong. He could see that she was embarrassed about the things she would say in any second now, but she would say them, no matter what.

"Nick, I'm an almost twenty-five-year-old doe, that never in her life had sex with someone else. Do you know how...weird that is for a bunny? All of my siblings that are old enough had sex. For years they made fun of me for being how I'm. Believe me, I want this like I wanted the vow and all the things that will come from now on. "

"I'm sorry Judy I…"

She laid a finger on his muzzle and smiled a new and seductive smile.

"No, try to excuse yourself with your body, not with words."

Nick wanted to say that he liked what he heard. And with the typical smirk on my face and swept Judy from her feet, gave her a quick kiss on the lips and headed with her to his bedroom. But he had to make the last stop for this night on the threshold of the bedroom.

"So Officer Hopps, you wished for one-time heaven and hell and with this seductive young fox, right in front of you?" Nick replied and wiggled with his eyebrows. Judy giggled a little and swung her arms around his neck and gave him another one of her seductive smiles.

"With you on my side, I would even go to hell," Judy said and leaned into a kiss.

"As you wish my Lady."

And with that, he gave her a grin and entered the bedroom. 'Strange, who had thought that this day will end like this?'


	6. Awakening

_Maybe you'll understand, someday,_

 _and when the time comes, please remember:_

 _Happiness is fragile, handle it carefully,_

 _like porcelain._

 _Farin Urlaub_

* * *

 **Judy**

* * *

The sun shone through the open window and passed the curtains. Slowly, Judy started to wake up from a state of deep and happy sleep. She recognized fast that something was different than usual, she was not wholly awake, but the young doe felt that something was odd. There was pleasant warmth on her back, and something fluffy was directly in front of her. What was even more curious was that she held this fluffy thing very close to her.

'Since when do I have such large stuffed animal? And since when do I sleep naked? Wait I'm not in my apartment… Of course, it's Nick...Judy you dumb bunny...,' was the first thought that went through her mind when Judy opened, and the only thing she could see was a soft and fluffy red tail that wiggled in front of her. Again she needed some time to recognize what it was. It seemed Nick had wrapped his tail around her and tried to hold her warm like this. A thought which melted almost her heart. When she turned around, then was the only thing she could see the two soothing emerald eyes of her fox, already awake and waiting just for her.

'I think, that is a way I could wake up every morning,' Judy thought, and she felt how a first smile flashed over her face.

"Good morning, Beauty," Nick said and gave her a tickling kiss on her small nose. The fox earned himself a happy little giggle from his bunny before Judy began to rub the sleep from her eyes. She still felt the fatigue in her, but she was already too aroused to go back to sleep.

"Morning Slick, how was the night," Judy asked and snuggled her head under his chin and her arms around his upper body. She could feel how a smirk appeared on his face and that he thought about a fitting answer. Judy deducted that he must be awake for a while now and how it seemed in an excellent mood. His snout between Judy's sensible ears, he began to talk to her in a soft voice.

"Well, I would say it was warm, fluffy and the part before you fell asleep on me was also very delightful. To be honest, Carrots that was one of the best nights of my life and I hope it wasn't the last," Nick said, and Judy began to massage his back with her small claws. Apparently, the fox seemed to like that. A soft purring came from Nick and Judy needed all her remaining strength to hold back a loud chuckle, if not even a burst of full-grown laughter.

'It's strange, it was just one night, one vow and one moment to exchange all those emotions we had for each other. And now? We lay beside each other as if we're a long time couple as if this was already a normal morning routine for months. We're here without any embarrassment and with zero distance between each other – and it's wonderful,' Judy thought and inhaled Nick's musky scent deeply. There was something in it that reminded her of home and her burrow. It reminded Judy of family.

When Judy opened her eyes for a second time, she noticed that it could just be around seven, there wasn't enough light in here.

"Since when did you wake up so early, Mr. Wilde?"

Another smile flashed over Nick's face before he pulled her again closer to him, his more massive paws laid around her back and tail.

"Since the day I have such a beautiful bunny laying next to me in the morning."

His paw moved slowly from Judy's back to her hip. But as soon as Nick recognized, that Judy became restless in his paws he knew, she wanted to start the day. Knowing that Nick drew her face with his paw up to him and gave her a long kiss, which he ended by licking over her tiny nose. Judy enjoyed this treatment with every second more. When they parted, she giggled, gave him a quick kiss and jumped out of bed to search for her clothes.

"I can't remember when I had the last time such a lovely view in my bedroom... well I would say never," Nick said, while he laid in bed and looked after her, his head resting on his paw.

The young doe giggled again and replied to him, "Oh come on Nick, are you trying to kill me with so many compliments? Because one or two more and I think you did it."

He sat up, but the smirk on his face stayed. Judy could feel that his voice turned serious, "Sorry, Carrots, that's what I was thinking for a whole month now, but I couldn't tell you because...well, you know the awkward implications it would have and because I was a coward. But now where we are together, I can say those things...I mean we are together. Aren't we?"

"Oh, we are Nick, don't worry or did you forget our vow," Judy said and smiled back at him. Nick, however, just grinned and dropped back into his pillow.

"Of course not and believe me that's all I needed to know. I almost feared that this was just a dream. A wonderful dream by the way," Nick said, he hadn't realized that Judy had all her cloth gathered by now and put them on the end of the bed in a little pile. With a bit of a jump, she was back on the bed.

The grey doe was now, down on all fours, on her way over the large bed and towards her fox. When she reached him, Judy gave him a kiss on the muzzle.

"The princess kissed the prince, and the prince was ready to get up," Judy said to her fox in the voice of a narrator, as if she would tell an old tale to the smallest of her siblings. Suddenly and even too fast for the trained bunny, Nick made a quick move forward, scooped Judy by her hips and sat her on his thighs. Both mammals lay now in the large bed, bunny on fox, and looked each other in the eyes and like Judy imitated Nick the narrator voice to reply.

"And the handsome prince got up from the kiss of the lovely princess and returned the favor a thousand times to her," Nick said in equal professional narrator voice. He laid one of his fingers under her chin and made Judy look up to him. Carefully, he leaned forward until lips met lips. When both parted from each other, and their eyes slowly opened, Nick looked at her and said, "All of this is so much better than I ever imagined."

And with his last words, he took his right paw and stroked through the white fur on her front up to her cheeks, repaying the little care Judy has given him. Judy leaned her head into his paw and closed her eyes.

'This was the best morning I ever had. I hope that it will stay this way…,' Judy thought, but then I remembered, the academy, six months without Nick and without the things they had over the last night? Without cuddling and being together all the time? Now I understand why he tried so desperately to hustle me into visiting him. Don't worry he is yours, forever or did you forget the vow? But it's just words...maybe he. STOP IT. You heard Emilia, he would never leave your side. Accept it.

"We have to talk, Judy."

"Oh, so serious Mr. Wilde? Did something happen, maybe getting scared of a little bunny?"

"Maybe a little during the last night and your hunger for foxes but this is something I can work with. No, what I mean is now that I have my little bunny, I also want to keep it. And with keeping, I mean having you as my partner in the streets and in the sheets. So what do you think?"

For a moment, Judy leaned back and watched Nick with an unsure gaze before she replied to him.

"Okay, Mr. Hustler, what's on your mind?"

"At the moment... a certain little bunny, but also some thoughts about our future. First things first, that musky scent that is all around and which should also be noticeable for a bunny like you… "

"Yes, I love it. What is with that?" Judy replied with a smile.

She really did and had never thought that she would find something like this attractive on another mammal. Okay, she also didn't know she would do all the things, she did yesterday with Nick but it happened, and Judy had no regrets about it.

"You have to shower, or everyone in the police precinct will notice what's up. Foxes have a special pheromone that we only produce when we make love, and this little guy is now all over you. That is that scent you smell. But I'm happy that you like it and I also love your scent Ms. Hopps...it smells...somehow familiar."

For a moment, Judy sat just on Nick's stomach and smiled down at him before she answered, "Funny, I wanted to say the exact same thing."

The conclusion Nick had was right, but Judy didn't like it. Because this meant hiding and if there was something she hated more than giving up, then it was hiding.

"Okay, that's very reasonable of you Nick."

"Oh, I'm not done yet, my beauty. In these rooms, everything is allowed that we wanna do. But outside no cuddling or smooching when we have to work, as long as we find a solution for Chief buffalo butt and I know we will...sooner or later."

Judy looked at him and bit her bottom lip with her two front teeth. Nick, tucked down under her, it seemed as if he liked to see her in this playful manner.

"Mmmh and when nobody's looking?" Judy asked with a teasing smile, rubbing her nose slightly against his.

"Then smooching is more than desired but not too much cuddling because of my scent. Sorry fox problems."

"When did you think about all of this?"

"Let's say I was a little bit earlier awake than you and I had to think about all the things that happened yesterday and what could happen from now on. And how I keep my bunny satisfied."

"Don't worry about that I will be good for the next 6 month. I mean we will see each other over the week a couple of times."

"Is that really enough for my little bunny?"

"Pfff, I'm a big girl I know how to handle my life," Judy said and sat back on his tummy.

'How long were they aware by now? Time felt to fly now where she looked down on him. Why do I feel like we would know each other for years, maybe even centuries and been a couple like forever and not like twelve hours and the most time we slept?' Judy considered but couldn't answer any of her questions.

"Okay try to handle this."

"Nick? What is that for a cheesy catchphrase...Ahhhhh…"

Nick did it again, teasing her to her core but in a way she could never be mad at him. While he was looking innocent up to her, he was brushing with his tail all over her back. Starting at her tail, which started uncontrollable to wiggle and ended after a long while at her ears.

And there they were again, those great shivers that Judy learned to love last night and which she hoped to experience for a long time with her fox.

"Okay, maybe I'm a little bit fragile when I'm with you…"

"Don't worry whiskers, I know how strong you are. I'm just teasing you."

He smiled up to her and pushed himself slowly up from the bed, just to give his bunny a kiss on her small lips.

"And now it is time to start the day. I heard of an academy where every record of a little grey doe has to be cracked."

He grinned at Judy, knowing that she would for sure grin back.

'We are a Couple. Couple… It is still strange to think of us as a couple… but how Patty said the other day, did we were ever something else? We just couldn't admit it to each other. But with this vow, aren't we even more?' Judy thought and looked with a slightly tilted head down on her fox.

Nick lifted her from his tummy and let Judy sit on the edge of his bed, which was one of those king-sized beds with a wooden frame around it, not one of those small things she owned for herself in her tiny apartment. Full of energy, Judy jumped down and grabbed for the small pile of cloth at the end of Nick's bed. Her fox needed still time and stretched all his limbs until he was satisfied.

"Don't you want to stand up?"

"Soon, Carrots. But right now, I try to enjoy the view I have from over here."

Judy threw Nick a smug grin over her shoulder while she walked with a wagging tail and her cloth in her arms to the door of Nick's bedroom but made a stop in the door frame.

"This bunny is going to shower, any objection Mr. Wilde?"

"Should I not join? It is a big shower for such a little bunny."

"Don't worry, like I said I'm a big girl, maybe another time."

"Good then... I make some breakfast. Anything special for you Ms. Hopps?"

"Something with carrots would be great."

"Well, what a surprise, a bunny that likes to have some carrots."

Judy turned, for now, toward Nick, who sat on the bed and leaned against the wall behind it, smiling at her. With two fingers over her muzzle, she threw him a kiss, which he caught and put the two finger on his own lips.

"I love you, Nick."

"And I love you, Carrots," Nick replied and saw his bunny smiling at the door. Before she vanished into the living room, she replied, "Do I know that? Yes, yes I do."

'I loved Nick's apartment, but the best parts are his bath and his balcony and Nick of course. But the bath, the bath, praise the three goddesses for this. No more sharing with 277 other bunnies or unknown neighbors. Just a warm shower in a clean environment. And I know most mammal can't believe this, as sloppy as Nick sometimes is, but he's also very clean and tidy. Or like he would put 'I don't have many things, so I don't need to clean up.' Lazy but effective.

And the only thing I need right now, to start my day, is a toothbrush and I'm ready,' Judy thought and looked around the sink. There was a second cup beside Nick's, also with a slightly smaller brush than his own and to her big surprise a toothpaste with carrot taste. Judy knew that these things were for her but when did he buy this?

"Nick?"

"Yes, Carrots?"

"Is the second toothbrush for me?"

"Oh sorry no, it is for me secret lover you know. She is a little bunny, so you have to be careful."

Judy couldn't help it, a big smile spread over her whole face but also brought her back to the thought that Nick will not be around for the next six month.

'Come on Judy it's not such a big deal, you're a big girl, and you can do that. Just suck it up and move on - Yes that's true, but now that I see how it is to have someone around and much better with him,' Judy thought and replied loudly back to him.

"Har Har."

"No, it's true. You should see her beautiful purple eyes, a smile that can make you crazy and a body I would kill for."

Judy could almost hear the grin from his face.

'He has to stop with the compliments, or I'll get used to them, and one day I'll believe his sweet words.' Judy thought and ended her personal morning routine, stepped out of the bath and back into the living room where Nick was waiting for her. He was sitting at the kitchen counter just with some boxers on and waited for his tea to reach the right temperature.

'He and his tea, I would have thought that he is obsessed with coffee but tea? Somebody could almost think he is sophisticated with all his knowledge about tea. But it's always nice to learn something new about him.'

Judy hopped on the stool that was right beside him and gave him a quick kiss on his left cheek.

"Oh? For what was this Ms. Hopps?"

"That was for the great Night Mr. Wilde and of course that you think of me in every situation, like the toothbrush. When did you buy it?"

"Oh that, I bought it after the last time we were watching a movie, and you slept here and couldn't eat breakfast with me because quote: 'I need a clean mouth or I die of embarrassment' - end of the quotation."

An amused giggle came from the doe, "Yeah sounds a lot like me. So do you have a little breakfast for me?"

Judy saw how Nick's smile turned into a grin, and he grabbed towards the right side of the counter to get a packet of cornflakes for her. But She never saw this one before. They looked like tiny carrots, and even the name 'Carrotios' couldn't help but let Judy think that Nick was planning a joe with them. With half-closed eyes looked the gray doe up to Nick.

"Your joking right?"

"Why not? They're specially made for bunnies, containing fifty percent dry carrots and other great stuff. Besides all of this, I think it's funny to let you eat little carrots...Carrot."

"Okay I try them - for you," Judy said and put the first spoon full of them in her mouth.

'To be honest, they are just irritating me, I mean carrots have to be fresh and not as this…but let's try. Don't forget Judy, try everything,' Judy thought and crunched down the first of them. In delight she opened her eyes, 'Woah, they are tasty! Almost like real carrots but a little bit sweeter. I don't want to admit it, but I have to buy them the next time I'm out for groceries.'

"See fluff butt, I told you that you would like them."

"They are okay…," Judy replied and tried to talk them down.

"No, lying young lady."

Judy looked a little bit ashamed up to Nick, not because she lied, but because she knew he could read her like an open book and that scared her. Even so, when Judy was also good at reading every expression of her fox.

"How do you know?"

"One of your ears is droopy, and you don't eat food that you don't like, something we two sweethearts have in common. So like Void would say 'I know things' especially about you my little bunny," Nick said and closed his case with a grin and grabbed an item to his right. Judy's bowl of the little carrots was almost empty and the only thing left was soy milk that tasted like the delicious orange vegetable.

"Judy we have to talk about a last thing before I make myself ready for the academy and leave for the next half year. And the thing is, ah this is one of those topics that is easy to discuss in your head but not in reality…," Nick said and scratched himself behind the ears.

"Come on Nick, what you have to say, can't be worse than what we did last night in bed…," Judy blushed and kept staring into her bowl.

'Did I really said this?' Judy asked herself but played it cool, and one quick look to Nick showed her that he liked the answer.

"Okay close your eyes and open your paws. I have a little present for you."

"As you wish, Master."

Judy answered and kept the best seductive smile on that she could provide.

"Good girl."

The fox dropped a light metal object into her paws, and Judy could just guess what it could be.

"Okay now open up."

She looked into her paws, and the only thing she could see was the key to Nick's apartment. Confused, she looked up to him and didn't know what to do or say. He turned to her and grabbed Judy's paws, and without hesitation, he was holding them in his and looking with his emerald eyes deep into the purple ones of Judy.

"Judy, you know better than I do, that we are more than a couple now. This vow… I take it very seriously and to make the first step, I want that we live together. I can't go to the academy and live with the knowledge, that you live alone in this shabby 'apartment' all by yourself. I want that you come here after a hard day and feel at home. You can also decorate everything to your own desire, but please keep it down with the carrot design everywhere, okay?"

The young doe was speechless and didn't even know what she should think right now. Nodding was the only thing her body was able to do.

"Judy, I wasted a lot of time in my life finding a mammal that never wanted to be found, I collected things and money that I don't need, and that's because I'm a dumb fox.

Days ago I thought that I will never tell you how I fell. That I will endure all the pain, that it costs me not to tell you my true feelings. Even if you find a buck, I would stand by your site and advise you. If you married him, I would be there by your side and give you the ring. Even if you had children, I would be there and help you out with them. All this I wanted to do... even if it breaks me internally, for the one reason that is enough for me to live..."

Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes when Judy felt that there was more than her fox was telling her. More than he wanted to admit.

"A-and what is that reason is?"

"That you are happy. Because I wanted to spare you a life of fighting with society, worrying and exclusion but I can't. I failed again because I was too selfish and I'm still fighting with me because I wanted to give you the best life that's possible..."

Judy could feel it clear as day that this in front of her was the old Nick, the overthinking guy who didn't know what to do with his life. The one who was so happy to have found something in his life worth fighting for that he was too afraid to lose. But that wasn't the part of her fox that she loved so much, it was the old self-destructive part that almost brought him down.

'But not from now on. I'm by Nick's side, and I'll not allow him to go back where he once was, those times are over.'

With her gray paws, Judy took his cheeks and locked his gaze onto hers. Their muzzles were just inches away from each other. A first glance showed her that Nick seemed tired.

'Well after that night and all the thinking he did about us, I can't blame him…,' Judy thought.

Unsure what to do sat Judy beside him. Nick's ears were pressed flat against his head, and he looked more like a lost child searching for his parents in a crowd of mammals than an adult fox.

"Nick, I chose you not because it will be easy, if I wanted it easy, I would still be in Bunny Burrow and took some random buck but I didn't. I choose you because I think that you are the right one for me, the one I will live my life with, no matter how long or short that will be. I don't care that you are a fox, I don't care that you have a half criminal background and I don't care that we two will face significant problems in the future.

The only thing, that's important to me is, that we are staying together. I am yours, and you are mine, from now till the end, remember that? You made a promise, so never think about something like that again, okay? And it doesn't matter how often you drift down, I will be there and pull you out. Do you understand me?"

His smile returned slowly. It was weak, but at least it was there.

"Yeah, you are right. I am a stupid fox," Nick said, sniffing loudly.

Judy had to giggle because she saw his usual self slowly coming back. That was the fox, she loved, "No, you are my stupid fox. Come here, Nick."

And with those last words took the young doe the meekly smiling fox in a deep embrace. Judy could feel the warmth of Nick and how it felt with every second more and more difficult to part from him. And so remained the doe for now in the comfort of her mate. Half-loud spoke Judy into Nick's ear.

"And I would love to live here and use my old apartment as a closet."

"Wait it was something different till now?"

With some force but still, playfully, Judy pushed the fox away from her. Both mammals were grinning at each other, waiting that one or both would reply.

"Har har, Mr. Wilde. But tell me, can I invite someone over here?"

"Sure, as long as you don't invite other guys."

Judy hopped down to bring her bowl over to the sink. But she gave him a look over her shoulder to see his reaction for the next teasing. Of course with the best and seductive gaze, she could give him.

"But Nick, for something like this I have now my old apartment, don't you think?"

The fur on Nick's back and tail stood suddenly up, and he slowly turned his gaze to Judy, a smirk all over his face.

"I think, you spend already too much time with me."

"And I think, we should spend even more time together."

"Touché Mademoiselle. Touché."

* * *

 **Nick**

* * *

Twenty Minutes and the water was still falling on his head. Nick was standing there smiling like an idiot about what happened just some minutes before and what will happen later. It was not like before Judy when he just could be happy when he could make 10,000 $ on one day without more significant problems. But for the first time in years... he was pleased. It was a strange feeling when you didn't have it for a long time. The burden you always had to bear on your shoulder and chest disappeared, after all this time he could think of a future, a job, a career, a wife, children - a life.

It was no sarcastic thinking or a hypothetical question, from now on it was just a matter of time and a plan that he had to follow for Judy and his happiness. Maybe they had to abandon some of these plans or change them but Nick knew they would do this together and that is all he ever wanted. He finally had it back, his meaning in life and at this moment this meaning was sitting on a big pillow on their balcony and tried to enjoy the last warm beams of sunshine for this year.

Nick finished his morning routine in the bathroom and left to look what Judy was doing. Of course, she was still sitting there, but she seemed to talk to someone, and Nick guessed that she spoke to someone on her phone.

'Well let's get some tea and then check it out,' Nick thought.

As Nick walked near to the balcony, he could hear that it seems to be a little-overheated conversation. Without looking back to her, he leaned on the railing and tried to act as if I wouldn't care about the telephone call between Judy and apparently her mother.

"NO Mum! Why would I do that? Mmh. Mmh. No, I don't want to meet him. Why? Because I can't mum, I'm busy the next month. Yes I know I have to wait for Nick to finish the academy. But I told you I will work as an instructor there for the time he is...Yes, I also have some free time. Nevertheless, I don't want to meet him. Why not? Because...I...Ehm...," Judy gaze wandered over the balcony and ended finally on Nick, "I have a boyfriend here in Zootopia."

Nick almost choked on his tea, when he heard Judy's words. Slowly, he turned his head back to the gray bunny, and she seemed to know what she did and changed to her 'what-should-I-do?' face.

'As if I could be angry with you when you look like this, Carrots... Well, who cares, sooner or later I had to meet the whole fluff army and of course the fluffy admiral and general as well. I hope it will be no two-front war against me...or more. This would be too much fluff.'

"Yes we will come over sometimes, and you'll meet him. No, I have no pictures of him, but I also wouldn't send you any pictures of my boyfriend, Mum. Mhm, okay...Mhm. Yes, I love you too. Bye and greet dad from me."

Silence reigned now over the little balcony, and for a moment Nick thought about something he could say when he saw that Judy's head was hidden behind her paws.

'That's not a good sign...,' Nick thought.

"We have to work on your lying skills and that immediately, Carrots."

"So bad?"

Nick looked into his mug full of tea and swung it with little force before he gave his answer.

"Let's put it this way, Carrots, I'm glad that you will soon sit on my site of the interrogation table. But maybe I'm wrong, and the only reason you can't lie is the fact that you talked to your mum."

But even his little jokes couldn't lift her mood,' Time to use some more drastic methods, I know that will make her feel better.'

Nick sat beside Judy and started to stroke her ears, he hoped that this would improve her mood. And thankfully it did.

'Such a brave little bunny, doesn't even fear Lions or Tiger but her own mother brings her to the edge and maybe even over it,' Nick thought, snickering to himself.

"What's up, Whiskers? Are you afraid of some little bunnies?"

"No, I'm afraid of the opinion my parents could have about me...you...US, even more after you've got full support from your family."

"Well, let's say most of the support. I don't know what my dad would say about all of this, but maybe he wouldn't be too amused. And besides, do you really think your parents can say no to this handsome fox. I mean you couldn't. "

She looked to Nick and gave him one of those beautiful smiles where even her bright purple eyes seemed to be part of it.

'Ahh, with such a view I can fall in love with you every day from now on, Carrots,' But her look also became a little bit puzzled.

"What do you mean your father wouldn't be amused?"

"Carrots don't think about it, he is one of our main problems in the things to come. And I don't think that anything he believes in has higher implications for us."

"You are right with that but we have to know our enemy and honestly...I'm curious. How was he?... But only if you remember and only if it doesn't hurt too much."

"Mmh, don't worry I'm fine. My father was...strange. Don't get me wrong, I have good memories with him but somehow . . . He changed."

"What do you mean exactly?"

She looked now very puzzled at Nick, and he could understand why. Even Nick couldn't follow him, but he was too young at the day he left and the time before, to realize what he really was.

"He was a normal dad at first, but he changed over time...slowly. He became more silent and thoughtful with almost every day of mum's pregnancy with Patty. Until one day, where almost everything went wrong."

"It's okay, you don't have to..."

"No, no, it's fine...You, more than anyone has a right to know as much as I can tell you. Anyhow, one Saturday...It's so long ago I can't even tell you what happened on this day, but I always get a bad feeling when I try to remember it. I bet Mum knows, but she didn't tell anyone what happened that day in our home...Anyway, what's important is that he left and never came back. I had no idea where he went nor what he does."

"It's maybe an odd question to ask but do you miss him?"

Judy asked the question, and Nick wanted to reply with so many things, but he knew that none of them would bring them any further towards the truth. What do you say about a mammal, which left you at the moment you needed him the most? What should you feel and what were you allowed to feel? Unsure he searched for the right words.

"I . . . I was too young to really know what or who my dad was so...no. No, I don't miss him, but I want to know what happened, what changed that day and how could everything go so wrong from there on. I asked myself more and more who he really was and what makes that with me? I mean he's my father...is there maybe something in me, that brings me to the same point as him?"

"No Nick, you're not meant to make the same mistakes he did."

Nick smiled down at her, but he felt that she saw through his smile and dropped it this time rather quickly. There was no longer any intention to pretend anything, not to her. Judy laid her smaller paw on Nick's bigger one and grasped through his dark fingers to enclose his paw with hers.

"Nick, you are you and nobody else. The sins of your father are not yours and never will be, okay?"

"Okay, Carrots," Nick replied smiling and gave Judy a quick kiss on her head.

"Good and now, you have to promise me something."

"Whatever you want, my princess."

Nick took her from her huge pillow and sat her down into his lap so that they could have at least a little bit cuddling before Nick had to leave for the bus to the academy.

"When you are in the academy, please do the training to become a detective and anything you find useful for our upcoming tasks, okay? But the preparations for being a detective is essential without that we can't proceed."

"Okay, I'll do as my princess commands, Carrots, but why the detective training?"

"We can't investigate on our own against the Company when we have to do patrolling, paperwork and other things that are not so important. I know this doesn't sound like me because I always said one step at a time, but the company has to be our number one priority, and we can't take them lightly. So we have to become detectives and to do so, we need the training and minimum a half year of an outstanding reputation. Otherwise, Chief Bogo can't assign us to this new tasks. If that is done, we can handle things more freely."

'My little bunny is right. We need to be prepared. I hate to say it, Nicholas Piberius Wilde, but hard times are coming for you. But always remember for whom you do this,' Nick said and gave Judy the biggest and most cheerful smile he had.

"You are right, Carrots. We try to be prepared for everything that'll come. Good that you know the rules so well my sly bunny."

"Someone has to, right my dumb fox?"

She stroked Nick's right cheek for a short moment and jumped from his lap. Standing there and stretching all her limbs, which also made her tail wiggle a little bit, until she was satisfied with her new found mobility.

The sun was blinding Nick, and the only thing he could see was a little grey and white paw from his little bunny, and even if he couldn't see her face, Nick knew that she was smiling with her front teeth on her lips and those bright, optimistic eyes of hers.

"It is time Mr. Wilde. There's a bus waiting for you."

"I know, I know. Don't you think I can take you with me as carry-on baggage?" Nick joked, but Judy looked just at him with half-closed eyes. A signal the fox understood instantly but smiled nonetheless.

"Har Har, very funny. Now come!"

The new couple started to pack all the things together which Nick needed for six months of training. Which meant, he had to decide how much tea he could take with him, without Judy getting a mental breakdown. As the great couple they were from now, they agreed to 500g of his standard green tea but with a little petition to his little doe.

"Okay whiskers but you have to bring me new tea if this one is empty, okay?"

"But, I don't know what and from where?"

Judy looked a little bit bugged at her fox, but while he gave her a quick hug, he whispered into her ear, "Don't worry you are a big girl. My little bunbun will get the information she needs to buy me my beloved tea and believe me it'll taste better than normal when you buy it. I'm sure of it."

Nick stood up and grabbed his already packed duffle bag, his old acoustic guitar and of course his sunglasses. The Phone was already in his pocket, and the keys were for Judy. He looked back to her and saw, that she stood there and smiled a little bit sheepish at him.

"Okay, I'll try...but where is this ominous tea shop? Maybe I want to make you a present and tea seems to be a good idea for you?"

"Okay, the name of the shop is called 'Phantastic teas and where to find them,' it's in the Walliton-Street. Number 207. Look there for a guy called Fred and say Nick is sending you. But Judy, you don't have to buy me anything, you are the best gift I could ever receive," Judy typed everything Nick said down on her phone and played down the last words Nick said to her.

"That's something I can work with... now we can," Judy said with a smile on her lips, walked up to Nick and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

They made a little stop in front of his closed apartment door, where Nick handed over the keys to his little bunny… but not without performing a little spectacle for her. For this, he went down on one knee and held the keys in his paws like a sword. Judy started to giggle and seemed more than pleased by his performance.

"Mylady, this castle shall be yours from now on, please accept this keys as a sign of true love from your loyal subordinate."

Nick knew his bunny well enough to know that she would like it, in return, she made a little courtesy and thanked him in the same way with the voice of a noble female mammal right out of one of those old fairy tales.

"My dear Fox, I will hold onto this castle and promise to keep it always in good condition, from now on till the day you will return as my knight in shining armor," Judy said and giggled again.

"That's my bunny."

She took his keys and put them into her pocket, a big grin all over her face. She helped Nick up, and together we walked over to the elevators. At the elevators, Judy saw how Nick looked one last time back to his apartment.

The bus was already in sight and with him a vast female polar bear and even smaller mammals. But Nick could also see a little grey bunny which looked quite grumpy.

"Okay, Judy, what's wrong?"

"What? N-nothing, I just don't have the time to say goodbye to you, and I don't know when…"

"Come on beauty, we still have some time. I want to show you something."

Nick felt that Judy wanted to have a proper goodbye and not the stage the two had to perform in front of the bus and the other mammals. Without her permission, Nick gave her wink and took Judy by her paw. Together they headed into a side street shortly before they arrived on the plaza in front of the Precinct One. After some buildings, they entered the backyard of an old and abandoned cinema, which was Nick's actual aim. By now, it was 9:30 am, and with that, they had more than enough time for a quick but hopefully sensual 'Goodbye.'

Judy looked puzzled at the aim. The whole backyard was covered with old velvet seats from better times, unidentifiable rubbish and an even older popcorn machine, which collected slowly more and more rust.

"That's one of the places I visited pretty often when I was down and didn't want to talk to anyone. Just the lost and broken came here at night, but don't worry right now it's just a place with a lot of memories, and I never thought I would come here with the love of my life," Nick said and saw Judy's beautiful smile, while she looked around the old and abandoned place.

With the fascination of a young child, Judy's eyes tried to absorb all the impressions of the strange and old surrounding. Here, inside of this hall, which was once a cinema hall, were more of the red velvet seats, old projectors for old movies, a broken ceiling and a lot of dust that was enlightened because of the incoming sunlight. Thousands and thousands of the dust particles were dancing in the sunshine and creating an almost romantic atmosphere.

Nick took all his belongings and put it next to the entrance. Judy, who still admired her surroundings, didn't even noticed that her fox was standing right behind her. His muzzle was between her ears and with a seducing voice, he started to talk to her.

"You know, Carrots, this was once the biggest cinema in whole Zootopia. But fire and the following fire-fighting operation wrecked it badly. Sad, I must say. I would've loved it to visit this place with you and watch movies or do other couple things…."

Smiling turned Judy around to him and replied, "Oh that is something, I can imagine just too lively. Say, Nick, what was the name, of this place?"

His arms wrapped around her small but muscular body and he could feel how she tried to stand on her toes, just to be on eye level with him.

'You might be smaller than me, Judy, but your true greatness will reduce every other mammal besides you to the size of mice, always,' Nick thought while she tried to reach him and his muzzle.

"This place was called 'The Picture Palace,' I would say the name was perfectly fitting, or what do you say Carrots?"

Judy's paws raised to the collar of Nick's green shirt, and he smiled seducingly down to her. Again she was biting her bottom lip while she watched him look around the place.

With little effort, Nick grabbed her by her butt and sat her on the table behind her, now she was where she belonged, on eye level with her fox. His paws slide slowly over her back, up and down, mostly to soothe her but also to keep himself away from the thought where he would be. Her eyes began to fill with tears, and she couldn't stand to look at Nick.

"I will miss you Nick…," Judy said in a sobbing voice. Nick took his right paw from her back and lifted her face carefully up. A weak smile flashed over Judy's face, but her tears kept rolling.

"I know whiskers. But hey, we will see each other in three days."

"Is that really enough for you," Judy asked sadly.

"No...not even close...but it has to. If I could, I would take you with me and that all the time. But unfortunately, we have to move on and stand our ground."

"I have a bad feeling that we two will never make our own decisions... What a miserable life..."

With his two paws, Nick enclosed her face and looked deep into her purple eyes.

"Judy, as long as I have you, there will be no miserable life. The only thing that can exist is the best life I can imagine. Something, I never thought I needed but can now, no longer live without. The important thing is just that we two are alive and we will find each other again, always."

And there it was again, her smile, which came back like the sun after a dark night. Covering Nick with her warms and gave him the strength that he needed.

'I have to admit it, she is my sun and nothing less. And I hoped that my sun would appear like the real one every day and made my life a little brighter,' Nick thought and wiped away her last tears with his thumbs. Without resistance, he drew her close to him, and she was already prepared for the kiss and closed her teary eyes. For a second, Nick looked at her and thought, 'Nothing could distort you, no, not my lovely little bunny, not even the longest and heaviest session of tears.'

Closer and even closer it drew him to Judy. Their muzzles now only inches separated from each other. Nick could feel how the little gap slowly closed, lip touches lip and nose to nose. Judy raised her paws and let them run through the fur on Nicks' head, starting by his cheeks. They went over his ears until they met finally on the backside of his head.

The kiss was long and intense. Nick's tongue was slowly going numb, but she didn't want to stop and neither wanted her fox. Because both knew what came when it ended. Nick had to leave her, something they both tried to avoid, like the devil the holy water.

But they both knew it wasn't forever and slowly moved our tongues back where they naturally belonged. For the last time, Nick licked over Judy's lips and nose which made her giggle like a little child. Her fox loved that.

Embraced, they stayed like this for a while. Forehead to forehead, Nick's paws around her body and her paws around his head.

"I don't want to go, Judy."

"I know, I feel just like you… and finally, I understand why you hustled me into visiting you."

Nick wasn't sure if Judy was crying or laughing; hopefully, he would say it was a combination of both. The state she was in, couldn't stay like it was. He had to do something.

"You know, Carrots, I ever wanted to know what a bunny tastes like."

She giggled and tried to concentrate on her fox and his smug words.

"And Mr. Wilde, what does a bunny tastes like?"

He grabbed Judy softly by her cheeks and gave her a short but intense kiss. After some heavenly second for them, he parted from her and looked deep into her eyes. Smiling he replied, "Tasty."

A heartwarming smile was what she gave him, and he didn't need anything more. Finally parted from his bunny and Nick walked over to his duffle bag but before I reached it, I felt how two little paws wrapped around my belly.

"Thank you, Nick, for the great, well let's say 'goodbye.' But didn't you said we had rules? I have the feeling you ignored them, pretty hard."

"You are welcome whiskers and yes I ignored them, but from time to time, you have to bend those rules a little bit. Wouldn't you say the same?"

She smiled at him and with that, all was good, no even better than that. Nick looked at his phone and saw that there were just 15 minutes left. Looking down at her, she knows that Nick wanted something from her.

"Okay bunbun, I have a last request to you before I have to leave."

"Whatever you want my fox."

"Good then come here, I want a picture from us both and the day we became a couple."

Her eyes light up, and Nick saw that she was all in for this idea. The fox leaned down to her and gave her a kiss, while he took the photo. Nick hoped that the pictures would be good. In fact, the results were quite pleasing. A photo with just the two of them, muzzle to muzzle and a big smile over their faces.

"Don't forget to send it to me."

"Send and done. And now I have a date with a bus, Ms. Hopps," Nick said, putting on his sunglasses. They both knew that they couldn't walk arm in arm to the bus and so they gave each other a last little kiss as a goodbye. Both of them walked back to the streets and strolled side by side as if they were nothing more than friends, who spend the day together.

"So whiskers, how is Friedkin? Is she the tough drill sergeant, that let you run till your mind is broken and you wish you can go back home to your mummy?"

"Mmh pretty much, at first I had a hard time, but I could prove myself, and I think you can do the same."

"Yeah, sounds great…," Nick replied with rolling eyes.

Not more than ten meters away stood Friedkin, she discovered Judy and greeted her loud, very loud. Nick guessed she did this intentionally so that everybody else knew, that the most famous cop in Zootopia was here. And of course, it worked. The eyes from all present mammals were on Judy and also on Nick. Some of them uninterested, some curious and other more than excited to see the duo in real life.

"So fluffbutt, that is the one you want to team up with?" Friedkin said and watched the fox from head to tail.

"Yeah pretty much. I think you can give this fox an extra hard treatment. He's tough and will like this," Judy said and grinned up to Nick, who replied with a tired look.

'This diabolic bunny. Wait till I met you the next time alone,' Nick thought and grinned back at Judy, who seemed now a little bit insecure about the smile of her fox. A quick turn and Nick was with stretched out paw in front of Friedkin. He tried his best to make an excellent first impression.

"Nicholas Wilde is my name Ma'am, I'm sure we will have a lot of fun in the next six month."

Nick tried very hard not to sound too sarcastic, but the female polar bear didn't seem to recognize his true intentions. Judy did and gave him her famous rolling eyes together with a sweet little smile.

"Okay Miss Hopps, I wish you a good day and see you next Thursday at the academy, right drill instructor Ursula?" Nick asked the two female mammals.

"That's about right Wilde. All your chunk to the driver and your ass into the bus. You have five minutes."

"Yes Ma'am," Nick and Judy replied in one voice.

Both gave the polar bear a little salute, and she left to giving orders to some other mammals, who asked questions or anything that seems like that. 'Finally alone…,' Nick thought and looked to his bunny. He took a last look around before he kneeled down beside her to whisper some last words into her ear.

"Don't forget it Judith Laverne Hopps, no matter what happens I love you more than anything else and never forget: you are mine, and I'm yours, from now till the end."

"Thank you, Nick, I love you too."

Nick stood up and grinned at his little blushing bunny. She, however, fondled her cheeks to scare away her blushing but it didn't work as good as she thought. Her ears remained red like a tomato. But her movement stopped when she realized how Nick had called her.

"Wait, since when did you know my second Name?"

"For this, there is only one answer, magic. Maybe, I will tell you one day but just if you behave."

We stood there and watched the other mammals for some time, just to recognize how excited everyone was. And it seemed this year was much more small mammals on the list of the cadets than the last years. With a grin, Nick thought, 'Who could be responsible for this change?'

"Okay, Carrots, I've got to go, we see each other on Thursday. But don't worry I will write you as often as I can. Oh and don't forget to make the world a better place."

With these words, Nick was holding his fist to her, and she didn't need a second invitation, to make a little fist bump. Nick didn't want to go. His emotion for Judy felt like gravitation which drew you back to the surface of the earth, just with the difference that Judy was his earth.

Nick slowly turned around and headed to the bus, most of the other mammals were long on their seats. Nick turned in his duffle bag, but not his guitar. It was merely too valuable for him to let it be crushed in the bus beneath other heavy objects.

When Nick entered the bus, he felt reminded of his days in school, where everyone was looking at you and tried to identify who you are and why are you here. His usual smirk should be enough for the mammals here. Nick saw a lot of wolfs which seemed very familiar, a beaver with a laptop on his thighs which didn't even look up, deer, tiger, lion, a white hare - it seemed like Judy has inspired some other small mammals to become a police officer.

"Hey, Nick. Long time not seen."

A female voice, sweet as sugar, sounded from behind him. Nick had tried to pass the three vixens without looking at them, he and especially Patty had no good memories of them. But somehow, they still tried to talk to him, and Nick had an idea why especially Leila, the leader of the siblings, wanted so desperately to win him. The reason for this was a massive crush she had on him but couldn't have less interest in a mammal. Now more than ever but alone the things the three did to Patty was reason enough for him to ignore her as good as he could. Nonetheless, Nick tried to be as handsome as always.

"Hey...the Darlia sisters, how are you doing girls? I didn't know you three wanted to become police officers?" Nick asked the three, but it was Leila who responded to him. The vixen leaned over the back of her seat and smiled seductively at Nick. When she spoke was her voice as sweet as sugar, but Nick knew that this was nothing more than a show.

"Oh, you know Nick, you impressed us so much with what you did and a little bird told me you would attend the police academy to join the bunny…," Leila said, her light yellow eyes looked seductively at Nick, but even if it wasn't meant as an insult, for him it felt like one.

"Judy," Nick replied, slightly angered.

"What…," Leila asked confused.

"Her name is Judy Hopps and not bunny, okay?"

"Uh, I know Patty likes to step in for other mammals, but that's something new about you Mr. Wilde," Leila replied smiling. By now Nick's smile was obviously just a mask to cover what he really felt, "Don't you dare to drag Patty into this, Leila. I warn you," Nick said as calm as he could.

"What would you do if I did?" Leila asked, laying her head on her folded paws. Nick wanted to reply when a voice broke their conversation.

"Ehm, can I sit here?"

All eyes turned around to the new mammal in the conversation. It was a vixen in pure white, wearing jeans and a black shirt of the band the raccoons. She asked the shy sister of the Darlia siblings if she could sit beside her. Mona nodded and looked out of the window.

'A polar vixen? Well, I have to admit her taste of music isn't half bad,' Nick thought while he inspected her. The vixen seemed to notice Nick's interest and stretched her paw out to him.

"Stella Conroy, nice to meet you, Mr. Wilde," Stella said, and Nick grabbed her paw to shake it. Her grip was stronger, much stronger than he had awaited it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Stella, tell me from where comes such pretty vixen as yourself?" Nick asked, and Stella's first reply was snorting laughter about his sentence, "Pretty? You don't seem to look often after vixen, Mr. Wilde. You will not know it, but I come from a small town in the north, called Fairbanks. But now I'm here...Maybe we can talk again in the academy. You seem like a fun guy to talk to, Mr. Wilde."

"Nick, just Nick."

"Okay, Nick, " Stella said and turned to the three vixens, "And you are?"

"Leila is my name, nice to meet you, Stella. Keila is the one beside me and Mona the vixen to your right. I'll guess we will have a lot of fun together in the academy."

"I hope so," Stella replied and sat down.

"You should be careful, Stella. Some mammals in this town appear as nice and friendly but have more in common with a pack of leeches," Nick said and walked on. He could hear Keila beside her sister asking what Nick meant with this.

"Shut up, Keila," The oldest sibling replied, and Nick could feel her gaze in his back. It felt somehow satisfying. Slowly walked the fox through the rows in the bus to look for a place to sit.

Nick was looking through the rows to find a place for him, but most of them were taken, and of course, most of the mammals were looking at him, because they exactly knew who he was. Nick kept his smirk up and headed for the only row that was totally empty, and it was, of course, the last one with five seats.

But he took it and sat on the right site to have a good view at Judy. She was standing there and talked to Benjamin Clawhouser, the chubby leopard from the Precinct One reception. Nick thought about him and was sure that he was also the one to whom he had given his application for the academy.

Nick realized after some seconds that Judy waved over to him like the little energetic bundle of fluff she was, and he gave her wink and little salute with two fingers of his right paw. She stood and remained waving. Friedkin was now taking over the lead in the bus.

"Okay cadets, any more problems? No? Good. We will now head into the academy, estimated arrival time is around 11 am. So for you to get it better, we have a one-hour driveway."

You could easily smell and feel that the room was full of nervous mammals, who didn't know what was coming.

'But hey, at least I was quiet and relaxed... well after such a night,' Nick grinned and leaned back in his seat. The bus slowly started to move, and Nick took a last gaze at Judy. She was just standing there smiling like ever with her amethyst eyes and her fluffy grey fur which was moving slightly in the late summer wind. At this point, Nick would have liked nothing better than to step out the bus, take her with him and leave this goddamn city forever. Just the two of them and he knew he would be okay with it. But life was complicated, and he knew that Judy would never run away, never.

The bus was now almost on the street when Nick saw a black wolf running beneath the bus. He was waving hysterically, but nobody seemed to notice him.

'Seems like, somebody is a little bit late,' Nick thought. The black wolf tried his best to let the driver know that he was there, but it didn't work.

'Come on Nick help him, you can use your hustling also in other ways…That's what Judy would've done,' Nick thought and couldn't stop his leg from moving.

Nick inhaled and began to shout.

"Oh my god! Did we just lose a wheel nut on our back wheel? I'm no mechanic, but I think that's a problem right?"

Everybody looked afraid and turned to the right site, to see what was happening. But of course, the mammals inside the bus couldn't see anything. To Nick's luck, the driver reacted and stopped in a mild panic attack the bus.

"What? They are all new ones, how can something like this happen?"

Friedkin and the driver ran out of the bus to check on the back wheel. After half a minute stepped the black wolf into the bus. For Nick, he seemed like a hybrid, which was even for Zootopia standards a rarity. He was maybe a head smaller than a normal wolf and wore old and for longtime used clothing. Nick waved over to him, to signal that he could sit beside the fox. Slowly and with a very shy gaze, he came over to me.

"Hey buddy, take a seat. We have a small ride to the academy ahead of us, so make yourself comfortable," Nick said smiling.

The black wolf looked at Nick as if he had given him a gold bar and he can use it for everything he wanted. To make him a little more relaxed, Nick stretched out his paw and started all over again.

"Where are my manners, Nicholas Wilde is my name, but you can call me Nick. And you are?"

He needed a moment but finally, he took Nick's paw and shook it.

"Nathan. Nathan Graham is my name."

"Well Nathan Graham, I can call you Nate? I don't know who you are, but I think we will get along very well."

And with Nick last words he saw a little smile appear on the wolf's face and noticed how he got slowly a little bit more relaxed.

But the storm he had created was coming back for him or better Ursula and the driver, both in a bad mood, entered the bus. He was already back on the track and with a little bit too much speed on the pedal. But the real problem was Ursula, who was coming directly for Nick and boy she didn't look happy, and the only thing Nick could hear that was shouted through the bus was, "WILDE!"


	7. Misfits

" _It was a little weird that they were friends. But then, maybe freaks just tended to find each other." ― James Patterson_

* * *

 **Nathan**

* * *

The black wolf could already see the ZPD Precinct One building in the background, but it was still some way to go or better run. It was a good thing that Nathan has always been a good runner, maybe not the fastest but he was enduring and not the one to give up on something. He wore grey worn out jeans and a plain dark blue shirt. Nothing fancy and especially nothing new.

'Come on, Nathan. Faster! You don't want to waste this opportunity. Since how long do you want to become a part of the ZPD? Isn't it your dream since you're a small pup? Maybe there's even a way to find her...or find some clues about your own identity,' The black wolf tried to motivate himself as best as he could and ran on. He slowly got a metallic taste in his mouth, which was never a good sign for a runner.

Four minutes until the departure of the bus to the academy.

'Dammit, I should've started sooner but what should I do? I wanted to say goodbye to everyone in the orphanage, who knows when I see all of them the next time? At least I could see all of them one last time. Emma, Ray, Norman, Don, Gilda...Well, everyone but her. Why do I have so many problems with female mammals, either I can't find them again, or they just leave me...and I'm not even someone who went desperately after the tail of every attractive female. There were just the two of them, but I simply can't get them out of my head,' Nathan thought and tried to get rid of his thoughts, trying to just concentrate on the task before him.

Three minutes until the departure of the bus to the academy. Nathan who was running by now like a mad mammal towards the coach tried to speed up even more and was now eager to avoid the departure without him, but he could feel that the muscles in his legs began already to hurt.

'Almost there...I'm almost there...I've almost reached the small plaza in front of the ZPD building... But why is there no one standing in front of the bus? Oh no, that's not good...That's definitely not good,' Nathan thought and considered for a moment to throw away the old suitcase in his right paw but decided ultimately against it. After all, it was all that he owned in this world. Also, Nathan felt slowly the effects of the sprint he was doing.

'Dammit, I'm endurance runner, not a sprinter!'

One minute until the departure of the bus to the academy and he had still some meters to go.

'No, no, no. Why does it start moving? Don't they know that somebody is missing?'

Nathan quickened his pace and tried to reach the bus as if the devil in person was behind him. Slowly the bus starts to drive in the direction of the Main Street of Zootopia.

The black wolf was by now in full sprint. Mammals left, and right tried to move out of his way, and Nathan did his best to yell apologies to the ones around him for his rude behavior. Through all this chaos, he could swear that he ran past a little bunny jumping and waving at the bus and by her side was a corpulent cheetah in full police uniform and three donuts in each paw. But after some seconds he wasn't so sure about the odd scene and didn't have the time to recheck it. Nathan could also not see the golden colored female wolf, who stopped at this moment at the door of the Precinct One building and was looking after him, as if she had seen a ghost for which she had searched so long and still not given up. Unsure what she saw, she just shook her head and walked with a nostalgic but bitter smile into the building.

It was now one minute after the departure of the bus to the academy and Nathan was still running, but there was also no sign that he would give up so fast on the bus he wanted so desperately to reach.

Nathan was now running right beside the bus, and he could even see some mammals sitting in their chairs, but none of them seems to recognize him or trying to give the driver a sign to stop the vehicle.

'Great Nathan, this one time in your life you wanted to be on time, but no...even now luck is against you.'

His mood dropped, and for a short moment, Nathan wanted nothing more than going back. But there was no possibility in doing so. Nathan was nineteen years old now, this was his last day in the orphanage, and with that, it meant for him just two things, either the academy now or the bridge tonight.

Maybe it was a sign of the three goddesses, but the bus seemed to drive slower before he stopped almost instantly with screeching tires. To Nathan's surprise jumped a huge polar bear and an antelope out of the bus as if something was on fire. Both headed for the rear tire of the bus. For a moment Nathan could read clearly the word 'Instructor' on the Shirt of the female polar bear and knew that this was his chance.

'Finally! For once in my life, luck is on my side. Use it, Nathan, someone gave you a chance!'

There was almost no breath left in him, but he tried his best to speak as clearly as he could.

"Ma'am….Nathan….Graham….cadet. Nice...to…"

The colossal polar bear turned around to him and inspected his appearance for some seconds, and he could already guess where her gaze would stay for the longest time before she would move on. She asked in a curious voice.

"You said your name is Graham?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"You are lucky, we had to make this quick stop, to check the rear tire. So get your butt in the bus and welcome on board."

That was something she hadn't to tell him twice. Nathan's good mood was back, and he was happy that the bridge was no longer an option...well, for now. With enthusiasm and the few pieces of things he owned, Nathan entered the bus which was full of staring mammals.

Nathan entered the bus and looked in faces full of curiosity and sometimes even loathing about his origins. It wasn't easy for a hybrid in Zootopia, especially for one who lost both his parents at a young age, which meant that he did not really know what he exactly was and he also had with his two colored eyes a remarkable sign for his genes. Heterochromia was rare and in most cases, like his, just something that made him different on the outside. But here in Zootopia was that more than enough to cause problems with others who like to see the dark green and the dark blue eye as a flaw. Nathan had always joked in the orphanage, that if there's something like a misfortune lottery, he was admittedly close to the jackpot.

There was no place for him to sit and also no mammal who offered the young wolf a seat. Especially two very similar looking vixen glared at him with a dark gaze, he tried to ignore them, but he could still feel their gaze on him. To his surprise, there was one mammal that seemed to wave at him. Nathan looked around him, but no one could see him of course because everyone looked in the opposite direction and there was also nobody behind his back. Nathan was sure now that he could only mean only him. Something strange was going on here.

Nathan walked to the last row, where a fox with an irritating smirk, was sitting with a guitar in his paws. 'For what did he need that? Am I really on the right bus? Maybe it's the one to an orchestra or a band training,' Nathan thought for a moment.

"Hey buddy, take a seat. We still have a way to go to the academy, so make yourself comfortable."

'He really offered me a seat and that without hesitation. And he looks kind of familiar to me, but I don't know from where. I mean you don't see every day a fox sitting on a bus to the police academy,' Nathan thought. He could feel how the fox was checking him from his ears to his toes, but strangely it didn't feel offensive, unlike other mammals.

"Where are my manners? Nicholas Wilde is my name, but you can call me Nick, like everybody else. And you are?"

With these words, he stretched out his paw to shake Nathan's black one, but the wolf was still unsure what this was all about.

'Could be a trick or something else...or does he just to be helpful to me? Come on, you idiot, he is nice to you. Don't be so distrustful,' Nathan thought and finally decided to shake his paw and replied with a small smile on his face.

"Nathan. Nathan Graham is my name."

"Well then Nathan Graham, I guess I can call you Nate? I don't know who you are by now, but I think we will get along very well."

On top of that, there was his devilish smile, but somehow despite that, Nathan had the feeling that he could trust him. The black wolf sat down beside the fox and tried to take a deep breath from the sprint he had a few minutes ago. The bus started again but this time with everyone on board. Nick had his gaze turned to the entrance where an angry polar bear appeared, screaming one "Wilde!". Furiously, she stepped in the back part of the bus and stood there with her paws on her hips, ready to tear the fox apart.

'But...why is she so angry about him?'

"Wilde there was no wheel nut missing, so why did you shouted as if the bus was collapsing."

'What? Nick was the reason the bus stopped? He must have seen me and...why did he do that for me? He could get expelled? One thing is for sure, he is done, and I see no way he could talk himself out of this situation,' Nathan thought and looked worried over to his new found friend. Even now, where he had an angry polar right in front of him, he didn't lose his smirk. He just sat there smiling at their instructor and started slowly to speak.

"I'm deeply sorry for this mistake. It seems that my eyes are not the best when it comes to small objects. But as you can see."

He was pointing with one paw over to Nathan.

"We could take even the last one with us. So...in the end we are safe, and on top of that, we are even complete. I would call that a win-win situation. No one gets hurt, and no one made a big mistake. Isn't that right Sergeant Friedkin?"

Nathan's mouth dropped. Until now he had seen some things in his short life but never such an eloquent talking fox in front of such a scary looking polar bear.

'How could he talk in such a way to her, he was a cadet like me, but he spoke to her like this? Is he insane,' Nathan thought for a while and switched his gaze from one to the other almost every second. The polar bear, who was also their instructor for the academy, seemed at first a little bit skeptical but thought about the words of the fox for a moment.

"Mmh, you're quite the talker, Wilde. But what you said wasn't half-stupid, so I'll let it slip...for this time. So, no more of this crap during the ride, okay? Or I promise you'll run for the rest of the night."

Nick took his right paw to his head and made a little salute.

"Yes, Ma'am."

The Sergeant seemed pleased with the explanation and made her way back to the front row. Nick, however, searched in the meantime for something in his duffle bag as if the whole incident never had happened.

'How can someone be so carefree? I always have to think about everything twice, but he?'

"Come on, Nathan, get relaxed and take some."

Nick was holding a little wooden basket filled with blueberries to Nathan. In fact, he had never seen such big blueberries in his whole life. The black wolf had sometimes worked at farms in the north of Zootopia, which was located in the borderland between the Meadowlands and Greenwater Mills, the next town which every resident there would call part of Zootopia but no real Zootopia mammal would even consider this. In the summer, Nathan and some other orphans had used large parts of their sacred vacation to work on local farms, but he can't remember that he had ever laid his paws on such delicious looking fruits. Nathan took none, he closed his eyes and nodded understandably.

"Sorry, I can't...unfortunately. I have no money to pay you."

Nick, however, looked at Nathan with wide eyes and started to laugh. Even some mammals in the rows before them turned around to see what was happening.

"What is so funny?" Nathan asked confused.

"Well, I offered you something for free. No need to pay me, pal. Look, just blueberries, no gold. Besides all that, I know a little bunny, and this little mammal has parents with a farm full of these delicious little fellows. So dig in."

Nathan was still unsure and didn't know what he should think of that strange guy. Nick seemed more like the guy who was popular with everyone. As an orphan and even more as a hybrid, Nathan was never one of the 'cool' mammals in school. Nathan was no athlete, at least not when it came to football, hockey, baseball or any of the mainstream sports, but he was good at running. He liked it when he could be alone with his thoughts, a terrible idea for others but he was more than okay with it. Nathan was good at school, but the one thing the black wolf loved more than anything else was history. He didn't know if it was because of his own unclear past that drove him to the books, but he wanted to know who he was and where he stood on the current timeline, how could things become how they are now. These things fascinated Nathan, and he had rarely left the orphanage without taking a book with him. It was strange behavior, especially for his young age but more than anything he wanted to know where he stood in this part of history, the only thing he wanted to know even more was who his parents were, why he was left alone and who she was, the female wolf with the almost golden fur. But mainly about the last point, he was sure he would never find any clues.

When he looked back to the fox and how he munched down one blueberry after the other with a big smile on his face, Nathan knew that there was no evil intention in the fox's doing. Now also smiling, Nathan took a small paw full of the blueberries and eat them one after the other. And by the three goddesses, they were much tastier than the ones he had once collected for money on the farm with his friends.

"For what is the guitar?" Nathan asked after he had finished his blueberries.

"Oh that, this is my trusty companion and also one of my obsessions. Do you want to hear something? I can promise you that, I'm a great performer," the fox said and wiggled with his eyebrows. Chuckling, Nathan replied to the fox.

"I'm sure you are but is it really the right time for a song?" Nathan asked smiling. The more he talked to this fox the more he liked him.

"Ah nonsense, it's always the right time for a song. Besides, I love playing in front of an audience."

His smirk grew even wider when he inhaled deeply. Nick did this to shout through the whole bus.

"SERGEANT FRIEDKIN IS IT FORBIDDEN TO PLAY SOME MUSIC."

"NO WILDE IT ISN'T FORBIDDEN... WHY?"

"JUST A QUESTION, YOU'LL HEAR."

Without thinking, Nick took his acoustic guitar out of its bag and started to tune the sites. He did this without any tuning fork or other devices. For a moment, Nathan thought that Nick didn't know what he was doing and just wanted some attention. Some of the mammals in the last rows turned their heads again and watched Nick with a confused gaze. When they wanted an explanation, they looked straight to Nathan, but the black wolf could just shrug as a reply, and they turned around with an equal shrug.

"So, what do you want to hear, buddy?"

Nathan thought that the fox was making just a joke and so he guessed it would be best if he only played along. With a chuckle on his lips, he replied with the first song that came to his mind.

"Ehm, I don't know maybe - Breakfast at Tiffany's?"

"Mhm, good classic radio decision, good choice Nathan."

Without any hesitation, Nick started to play, and every mammal in the bus turned around to see what was going on. Sergeant Friedkin was one of the first, that looked extraordinarily critical but seemed to like what and how Nick was playing. She finally turned back to the front with a smile on her face. Nathan even saw one of her feet on the ground, which was pounding to the beat.

Nick was talented with his instrument, that was something nobody could take him, and Nathan was obviously amazed about the fox and his talent to seduce whole crowds of mammals with ease. After Nick finished the song, loud applause waved through the bus, which the fox acknowledged with delight but Nathan felt that Nick wasn't finished, he wanted to play some more songs.

"Okay, any wishes for the next one? Come on, this fox here can do way more than you maybe think."

It took some seconds but the polar vixen, Nathan saw earlier sitting in a group with three other red vixens, turned around and looked with a smile at Nick. To Nathan's surprise was the young vixen already known to the fox beside him.

"Oh, Ms. Conroy, it'll be a pleasure to play something for you. What do you want to hear? Maybe, something special?"

The polar vixen smiled and stayed calm, unlike her newfound vixen friends who started to giggle like crazy. It reminded Nathan of the typical girl groups you have to endure in school. It was now that the black wolf saw that the vixen wore no fancy shirt but just a black band t-shirt and some worn out jeans. She seemed nice, and for a short moment, she looked over to Nathan and winked at him with her left eye.

"How about the song Drunken Lullabies, ever heard of that one old man? If not, it's no shame to admit it."

Her voice sounded provoking, and Nathan thought that most mammals, would feel attacked by her words. Well, most mammals had but not Nick, he just started talking with her. He grinned back at her and began to play the first chords on his guitar, but of course, he still wanted something to say.

"It seems that we have at least one other mammal with a taste for good music on board, Ms. Conroy."

"You can say, Stella. I told you that already," Stella shouted through the bus with a laugh.

"Okay Stella, the next song is just for you."

Of course, he played the song without any noticeable mistake, just like the last one, to the end and waited for more suggestions from his audience. He even got the bus to sing along to his refrains. It almost felt like one of the many concerts, Nathan and some other orphan children had listened to in the summer when they played open-air gigs in Zootopia. They hadn't the money for a ticket, but at least Nathan and the other orphans could lay in the grass and listen to the music.

Nick waited for more questions and munched while he waited some more of the delicious blueberries.

"Okay Wilde, can you play 'House of the rising sun' or is that a number too big for you? Simon, our driver, wants to hear that as a little compensation for your mistake," The Sergeant said.

"I must say, this must be the best compensation I have ever paid for a mistake," Nick replied with grinning and started to play this old song. It was now that Nathan recognized that the guitar he used was old and worn out and he guessed that Nick had played a lot with it. Now, Nathan's mind was more at ease, he thought more about the fox.

Nick Wilde, the name rang a bell, and then it struck Nathan, 'Of course, the news. He was the one saved together with Officer Judy Hopps the city and I didn't even recognize him at all, what am I for a dummy. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, the duo who protected the population of Zootopia from a civil war. I know it sounds ridiculous at first, but this would be the consequence of prey fighting predator for their own safety. And all the ideals we had in this town would go to the ashes.'

Nick ended this song, and a little applause sounded through the bus. The two predators could even hear Sergeant Friedkin talk to the driver.

"Simon, are you crying?"

"*Sniff* What?...No….everything's...fine."

Nathan had the feeling that Nick was almost at the end of his little show for the new cadets.

"So guys and gals, the last song should be known by everyone, and it is dedicated to a very special mammal in this bus."

The whole bus was in a wild mood, and everybody thought that this last song would be for one of the vixens, but nothing could be further from the truth. It was the first demonstration of Nick's character to the crowd and a rather memorable moment for everyone on the bus.

"Yeah, for everyone who is not sure for whom this last song is, it's of course for me. And it's pretty easy, you can learn it in an instant. And I want that everyone is singing along, okay?"

He took his phone out of his pocket and handed it over to the black wolf with a big smirk on his face. Nathan knew, of course, how to use this thing, but he never had one by himself. It was too expensive and all the friends he had lived with him in the orphanage, but he should think about getting one when he finished the academy.

"Hey, Nathan. Could you please record the next song for me, I want to send it later to a certain bunny," Nick asked with a smile and tuned some of the strings of his guitar.

"Yeah sure. horizontal?"

"Of course, my friend. I want this to be good, and you look just like the mammal who has the calm and steady paw for such things."

Friend, that was a word, that Nathan had heard just rarely outside of the orphanage and it felt good to hear it from someone whom he knew just for such a short amount of time.

Without further explanation, Nick began to sing 'Always look on the bright side of life' and Nathan began to record it with the fox in the center of the screen. It needed just half the song for Nathan to be sure that this fox had a special talent to motivate other mammals and also to act. By now was every mammal in the bus either whistling along the song or singing the refrain. Nick ended this song as flawless as the other ones, and like the other times waved applause to the fox. A tensed silence, what would await the new cadets in the academy was replaced by an informal and relaxed talk.

"Thank you! You were a great audience," Nick shouted and bowed down two times, but most of the audience was already talking to each other.

Nathan had still no idea why he liked this fox so much and that even in this short amount of time but somehow deep inside of him, he trusted Nick, and soon he should know why. It was during Nick's second bowing that the phone in Nathan's paws received some explicit messages from a certain bunny who was still in Zootopia and thanked Nick for the last night and the time they've spent together.

With wide eyes, Nathan stared at them until Nick took the phone from his paws. On his face was a wide grin, when he looked over the messages he received and then back to Nathan, who felt caught, almost as if he did something wrong.

"I...I...I didn't mean to...spy on you...I...I'm terribly sorry, Nick," Nathan said with sunken ears and an apologetic look on his face. The black wolf almost wanted to stand up and search for another place to sit, even so, he knew that there was none.

"Relax Nathan. I mean, I'm sure I can trust you, right pal?"

The ears of Nathan were fast up, and

"What? Yes, of course," Nathan replied loud but went instantly over to a whisper, "...Is this...I mean you two...you're together?"

Nick nodded just slightly and laid then his index finger on his muzzle. The smirk he showed was an unmistakable sign what he wanted to say. Nathan, who understood nodded just back and stared at the fox with wide eyes. Satisfied with Nathan's answer, Nick laid his guitar on the seat beside him, leaned back and ate some more of the blueberries.

"So, now where you know something about me... Where does Nathan Graham come from?"

"Well, I would like to tell you from where I come or who my parents are... but I can't," Nathan replied with a bitter smile and looked down at his grey jeans.

"You can't? Why's that?"

Awkwardly, Nathan scratched himself behind his ear before he answered, "I really wish I could tell you, but I know nothing about them...The only thing I know is that my Mum was a Golden Jackal and my Dad a black wolf, like me. That's also the reason for my eyes...but besides that, I know nothing about them. Why they left me, if they're still alive or how they were...nothing. Besides this... I'm just an orphan who lived almost his whole life in the Sunvalley Orphanage, up in the Meadowlands. But please no pity. Actually, I had a good time there...a large family, some excellent friends...my...first love...," Nathan said and laughed, slightly embarrassed about his last sentence, "...heh...I have no idea why I tell you all of this."

Nathan chuckled and looked over to the smiling Nick, 'Why do I trust him? Because...he wouldn't judge me? Maybe...'

"Don't worry, buddy. I'll keep it for myself, we're among friends here, and besides that, I can imagine that you're pretty good with the ladies. Believe me, I have a feeling for this and those eyes, I bet the females love them," Nick replied smiling and wiggling his eyebrows.

"What...me...with those two? No, no, no...at least not from my side," Nathan said chuckling, his face changed as if he had some pleasant memories, "It seems that female mammals always make the first move on me... I guess I always overthink, if they really like me or not...but enough about me, where does the most famous fox of Zootopia comes from? I bet you've got a million interesting stories to tell."

"A million and more. This fox here could fill whole libraries with stories about his life and the mammals he knows. And one of those stories is that I started my life in the streets of Bell's Kitchen. You know the infamous part of town, from where once the mobster family Bell came from. It's actually a pretty nice part...if you can forget it's violent past," Nick explained and leaned back in his seat before he asked the next question, "Okay Nathan, why the ZPD? I mean there are other and also safer jobs in the city. Why exactly Zootopia's finest?"

Nick observed with delight how Nathan's face begun to lighten up when he talked about his reasons to join the ZPD.

"You know, I always wanted to help mammals, and we were a lot of children in the Orphanage with just a few guardians to look over us...I don't know. Somehow, I took the role of the one who took care of the ones around me. And when the time came to search for my role in life, I thought it was just a logical thing to become a police officer. To proceed with the thing I can do best and that is to help others... and I also want to find out who I am. I have no idea who my parents are...I mean, do you know what for a feeling it is to know that they once lived, but you have no idea who they were...What was their favorite food? Did they have hobbies? What was their job?"

Slowly nodding, Nick replied, "Oh yes, I know how it feels to search for answers but never really find some . . . Listen, Nathan, if I can help you in any way to find them or someone else, just tell me, and I do, okay?"

Again, Nathan scratched himself behind his ear and looked to the ground before he began to speak, "That's awfully nice of you and actually...," Nathan began and right at this moment, he had no idea why he told Nick exactly about this memory. It was one of Nathan oldest and most precious memories. Also, it was one nobody knew about, but Nathan was ready to tell Nick, someone he barely knew,"...Actually, I want to find someone else...someone I met just once in my life...but I know I need to met her again," Nathan said and saw the eyes of the fox looked now with interest to him. A second later filled a grin Nick's face.

"Ooh, so, so, so. Her. . . Didn't you say, you're not good with the ladies? Okay, Nathan, what's her name," Nick asked and was more than curious to hear the answer.

"Well...ehm...that's the problem. I don't know her name...," Nathan replied embarrassed about this important fact and saw that Nick looked baffled at him, "What do you mean...you don't know her name?"

"Well, it's...it's difficult. We spend almost an entire day together but...none of us asked for the name of the other...we just didn't think about it."

Grinning, Nick replied, "Let me guess, you two couldn't talk because all you could do was kissing, right?"

"No! Jeez, Nick, we were eight," Nathan replied shocked and was silent for some seconds, before he reluctantly replied, "...but it could be, that she was the one with whom I shared my first kiss...By the three goddesses, why do I even tell you all of this?"

"Because you like me and don't worry, Nathan, I'll tell nobody...And besides, it couldn't be more than an innocent little kiss between children, right?"

"Yes, but...It was...I don't know...It felt..., "Nathan explained and tried to gesture the answer with his paws an answer but before he knew what he wanted to say answered Nick. The fox gave him the easiest and maybe best answer, while he leaned back, "...Right – is, I guess, the word you're searching for Nathan, and those kisses are rare. I know what I'm talking about, I witnessed until now only one of such a kiss. And it blew me away."

"Really? When?"

"Yesterday," Nick replied with a grin, that triggered a smile on the black wolf's muzzle. After some seconds Nathan turned with a questioning gaze back to Nick, "How is she?"

"Judy? Oh, she's a fantastic kisser," Nick replied with a smirk.

"Not that...I mean, as a mammal. Is she like on TV?"

"Well...She's a little energetic ball of fluff that when she once started a task, it can only be finished or she gets no peace. And when there is any kind of injustice, she has to step in, or it wouldn't be Judy. Ohh and if you should ever commit a crime or call her cute, believe me, she will chase you to hell and back to make you pay for it," Nick explained and his face, as well as his voice, changed from euphoric to dreamy, "On the other hand, she is the kindest and nicest mammal I have ever meet in my life, and I saw a lot of mammals..., but none of them one was like her. Not even close."

"Wow, sounds like somebody is deeply in love," Nathan said, and this time it was on him to grin.

"You have no idea, buddy," Nick said and munched down the last blueberries in his basket, "Oh, and you can see how Judy really is next Thursday."

"What do you mean with that, Nick? Will she come to visit you?"

"Oh, not just me. She is one of our trainers during this years academy."

"Your joking, right? Really, I get to know her?"

"Yep and boy, she will like you. I'm sure of it. And I think she said something about self-defense and running. Well, that was the last thing she had told me."

"You're sure? Self-defense? I mean, I heard she's tough but...I don't know. She's still a bunny."

"And what for a bunny, I can tell you, and that was no joke, Nathan. She'll really teach us self -defense. Just last week, during her time on patrol, she kicked a cheetah unconscious and that with one blow of her strong legs. If I ever had to choose to fight Judy or a tiger, " Nick made a little dramatic break and clicked his tongue before he continued, "I would choose the tiger. But also for different reasons."

Nathan was stunned, and even his jaw dropped for a moment. All Nick did, was to keep grinning at the black wolf.

"B-but she is a little bunny?"

"Believe me, that's just a trick to feel safe. A mistake you should never do. If you would know what Judy can do with those legs…," Nick said and had a devilish smile around his muzzle.

"Okay...too much information, Nick, but thanks for the explanation. I'll try to avoid being kicked by her...or strangled...," Nathan said, and both predators chuckled about the joke.

They kept talking for the next minutes about a lot of different things, mostly about Nick and Nathan's past. Stories about working on the streets of Zootopia were exchanged against stories of a mammal living his entire life in an orphanage. Nathan understood slowly that he and Nick had more in common than he first thought.

Zootopia was long behind them, and the academy was no longer so far away, maybe ten more minutes in the bus, when two bigger mammals, a jaguar, and a tiger, came up to them in the back. At first, Nathan had no idea what they wanted until he recognized onto whom they had fixed their gaze. Intimidating, they stood in front of Nathan's and Nick's view to the front. Both wore jackets from the Savannah Central High School and looked with their clean clothes and

"Hey, Wilde! Nice, gig you made there for us," The Jaguar said, looking down on Nick and Nathan.

"Thanks, buddy, how can I help you?"

Not for a moment, Nick's smirk and gaze didn't leave for one moment from the bigger mammals. The tiger seemed just to be some sort of follower of the Jaguar or some kind of bodyguard. Not that the Jaguar needed one, but even the two large felines knew it was always more impressive to have two mammals in front of you instead of one.

"Anthony Rodriguez is my name, and this is Bill, but you can ignore him. He's something like my shadow," The Jaguar said. From the grinning Tiger came nothing but a slow nod.

You could hear the self-confidence with every word Anthony spoke and Nathan could already imagine the history of this guy. Born in a good family with rich or maybe even famous parents, he could visit the best schools in Zootopia, leader of one of the sports teams, one of the most-liked mammal of the year, probably also prom king together with the prettiest female in their year. And now after all this Anthony was here in the same bus as a certain orphan black hybrid wolf and an older ex-con mammal, not precisely what such a mammal awaited for his career but Nathan had no idea why he was here.

"We thought you want to hang out with the cool mammals in this bus? So, why not come with us and we have a good time until we arrive at the academy. What do you say, Wilde?"

"Oh, I thought I do this already?"

The jaguar changed, his smile turned into a disgusting look, and for a short moment his gaze went on to Nathan, where it rested for a while.

'It's, every time the same! They see my eyes and know what I am, but what's even worse, they can't accept me, just because I'm different – a hybrid, bastard or just a freak,' Nathan thought and looked embarrassed away from the gaze this Anthony guy gave him.

"So you really want to tell me that, this freak here is a better company than we are?"

"He is. 100 percent," Nick said calm with a grin on his lips.

"Even so, you don't even know us?"

"You're right. I don't know you but I know mammals like you and what you said about Nathan, just proved me right," Nick said. The arms of the fox still laid completely relaxed over the backrests of the seats to his left and right, one leg crossed over the other and a knowing grin on his muzzle. Anthony seemed to slowly lose his calm and began to use methods which seemed to have worked until now.

"You'll regret this when I tell my dad about...," Anthony said but was cut off by Nick's laughter, "Pfft...What? Ahahah...Your daddy? How old are you? Ten? Oh, please this is too good."

Nathan tried not to laugh and bite himself on his lip but failed miserably at this task. The laughter of the two predators echoed through the whole bus, and some mammals even turned their head back to them. Anthony, who was apparently not used to being laughed at, shouted desperately at the two.

"Stop laughing at me you too!"

"Or what? Will you ask daddy to scold us for being mean to you," Nick replied and earned now even some giggles from the last rows of the bus. Anthony, who recognized that, turned around and looked at the mammals who laughed the loudest. Not one stopped or felt threatened from his gaze, so he tried to become even louder, "STOP IT! All of you!"

"Can you all hear that? That's also the same voice with which he calls for his dad to help him," Nick yelled, and almost every row here in the back was laughing by now. Angered and clenched fist, Anthony looked around him and tried desperately to find a way to get control over the situation. But it was much too late. Anthony hadn't understood it by now but his friend, David, had.

"Come, Tony, we go back to our seats," David said and laid a paw on Anthony's shoulder, but the Jaguar just shrugged it off and turned with a stretched index finger to the still laughing fox. Nick, who had calmed down by now, looked grinning at the large predator and waited for the final thread, "You'll regret that Wilde. And don't worry, what will happen will just be something between you and me and no one else, got it?"

"We'll see, big boy," Nick replied and watched how the two went back to their seats. Nathan who had also caught his breath by now also looked after the two, "They'll come back."

Nick just nodded, and Nathan saw that the fox beside him looked somehow more severe.

"What he said to you was hurtful, Nathan, and I know how that feels. If you want my two best advice...never let them see that they get to you," Nick said with a stern voice, and Nathan felt that something had changed. This was no longer the funny fox from some minutes ago.

"Is that how you survived for so long on the streets of the city?"

"Partly, but it's also important that you don't forget what you are. Everybody else can see it and will use it against you. And just because you don't want it to be true, doesn't make it untrue. We can't change what we are, but we can change what other mammals see in us."

Nick pointed with his paw at himself and continued, "For most of the mammals in Zootopia, I was just the sly and dishonest fox, who holds nothing dearer in his life than money."

Nick changed his aim and pointed now to Nathan.

"And you were for most of them just the wolf hybrid with heterochromia, who lost his parents... but they don't see that you want nothing more than to help other mammals in your life. In fact, this wish is so big that you even want to become a police officer."

"And...what did you do to change the view of the others?"

"Nothing...well, at first. I was helplessly captured by the thought that I could never do anything better, that I could never be more than the fox I was... You know, sometimes you can't escape those thoughts alone, you need someone to pull you out," Nick said and smiled mildly to his new friend.

Nathan could already imagine what Nick would answer, but still, he needed to ask this question, "Who helped you to change your view?"

"Let's just say that a little grey bunny lent me a paw and showed me that even the smallest mammal can change the world for the better. It's not easy, and there will be times where you want to give up and curse the whole world...it's those times when you're glad that someone is by your side."

"Sounds like a long and winding road we have to walk," Nathan said and chuckled.

"Yep, but do you know the good thing?"

"No? Tell me."

"We don't have to go the way alone."

Both smiled and looked to the front of the bus, where they saw that they entered the town of Woodbury, the one in which also the Academy of the ZPD was located. Not much longer and they would reach their aim.

* * *

 **Elliot**

* * *

Elliot Anderson, a beaver of twenty-four years of age, had met some crazy mammals in his life, but Nicholas Wilde was for sure one in his personal top three. Stopping the bus with a highly unconventional but effective method, just to let the last cadet get on board, playing guitar with song wishes free for everyone during the drive to the academy and on top of that, making fun of Anthony Rodriguez, the son of Police chief of the Precinct four, which was responsible for the rainforest district...

'I have nothing against the fact that some pumped up and pampered jerks get to know where their place is. But, I still ask myself what they both said to Wilde and the other... I think Graham was his name.'

The bus was now driving the last few meters to the end of their journey and with it also returned the tension, that was for quite some time gone. Sergeant Friedkin was now back on her feet and ready to yell the first commands in the direction of the new cadets.

"Okay cadets, the meeting point is outside on the green, near the flag. From there on you will get to know your room and roommates. So get your luggage and from there directly to the meeting point."

It took all of them no longer than ten minutes to stand prepared at the destined place. No one in the whole crowd wanted to become the target of the Sergeant, at least not in this early stage of the half-year that laid ahead of them.

'So let's see with whom I have to share a room. I mean, I already know the mammals who will be taking part in this six month of the academy with me. How do I know? Well, I know how computers work, okay I know really good how they work. One hacked ZPD Academy server here and a little bit of searching in the social media accounts of their owner there and you have a pretty good picture of the mammals around you. But back to the rooms...,' Elliot thought and observed carefully Sergeant Friedkin who prepared herself for a speech.

"Welcome cadets, to the 2016 to 2017 half-year of the Zootopia Police academy training! You'll learn here everything you need to survive in the big city and catch every criminal, no matter which ecosystem or which precinct you'll be assigned to! And one thing that you should all remember. At the end of this half-year, I am the mammal who will decide in which precinct every one of you'll work soon! Good...Now to the distribution of the rooms!"

Of course, the small mammals were the last in line to be announced, but when Elliot looked around the recruits, he was surprised how many smaller mammals were influenced by the doing of Judy Hopps.

"...Okay, the small to middle-sized mammals! Room 415 is the room of the vixen, Conroy and the Darlia sisters. Room 418 is for Anderson, Graham, Smith, and Wilde," Friedkin yelled and made a short break before she gave the final command, "All of us, except the IT guys, will meet at sixteen hundred at the ecosystem training course. Supper is at eighteen hundred and breakfast at zero six hundred thirty. Did you get that? Yeah? Good...Dismissed!"

Elliot could see how Graham exhaled deeply in front of him. Wilde held a fist up to him, and they exchanged a quick fist bump between each other and started to talk again. Around the beaver dissolved the group of new cadets and walked in smaller groups or alone towards the main building.

'I bet he thought he had to share a room with some other wolves in the academy or even some larger mammals,' Elliot thought and walked towards the entrance area, pulling his small black suitcase after him.

Elliot made his way through the halls of the academy. It was one of those old Brick buildings, they would use until one of the windows fall out of its frame, and it's finally time to build a new one. Everything from the walls, to the wooden doors, the old metal beds, and the spartan interior screamed old to every new arriving mammal. Elliot's standards weren't high, but this was ridiculous.

'Shesh...do I really have to sleep in the same bed as my grandpa did in the army?'

'And what's even stranger, they start counting the floors in this building with the 1st floor in the basement, which means our room is regularly on the second floor if you take it correctly. Something normal mammals don't even care about can drive me crazy. Like this for example.

But this is something even an idiot should see. Something every other mammal would look over but not me. I mean if you have to do it, then do it properly. But not in this way, floor four which is actually floor number. What for dimwits. If you wanted to count the levels right you would even start at the zero, I mean it is the starting point, the one is also the first step...damned, I got again lost in my own thoughts...I hate stupidity especially if I see it in small details,'

It was the same as always, Elliot forgot his surroundings and didn't even recognize that two wolves walked behind him and debated about the fact if he was really Elliot Anderson of the Anderson family. When Elliot herd their talk, the same old nerve was struck within him.

'Yes my parents are rich, maybe even some of the richest mammals of all in Zootopia, and yes that brings a lot of problems with it, but for me, it was always just money, something you need to live and make your life a little bit more comfortable. But that's all, I never really needed much of it nor do I care about it enough to spend my whole day earning it. After some time it isn't even a significant challenge to earn it. It got boring for me. And when there are two things in life that I really hate, then it is boredom and stupidity...and my family...okay maybe three,' Elliot thought and took a look over his shoulder. The two wolves were still behind him, and he was also quite sure that he was still their main topic.

'The two idiots maybe think – 'When he has so much money why does he attend the ZPD?' I'm a hacker, you fools and where am I safer than directly under the eye of the ZPD,' Elliot thought and chuckled about the two. It's not that he was like Judy Hopps, he didn't want to make this world a better place because for him this was a meaningless task. You couldn't fix what has been broken all along. Elliot just wanted to have his fun and maybe a more significant challenge, from time to time, that would bring him to his limits, intellectually not physically.

The young beaver had calculated the risk for both sides he could choose, and that was the ZPD, or he would be on his own, again. Elliot could also work for some crime syndicates, but there was a high chance to be killed or to get in jail. In the ZPD were the chances to get a bullet in your head slightly smaller and you couldn't end up in prison. And as a member of the Data Center Unit, he could do his favorite work the whole day. For him a clear win-win situation.

Elliot knew that this six month would be hard for him. He didn't have to pass the physical tests because of his aim as a member of the Data Center Unit of the ZPD, but he had to attend the daily training, and that was something that was easier said than done or how Elliot would say, 'To make it clear, beaver are meant to swim, not run.'

Elliot heard how the wolves closed the distance between them, and he knew it was too late to react in any kind of way. A relative big claw grabbed his shoulder and pushed him against a door.

"Hey Beaver, is it true that you're the oldest son of the Anderson family?"

"Why do you want to know this?"

Both of them stood now in front of Elliot, not even half a meter away from him, and he understood immediately that he was cornered at a closed door, with no chance for an escape. At this moment he couldn't see where this whole situation was leading to nor for which mammal the room behind him was. Both big grey wolves had an evil grin on their faces, and Elliot thought, '...okay that can become an ugly affair, but you know Elliot...most of the times they are just boasters. Nothing more, so don't give in, Elliot.'

"What do you two want from me?"

"Straight to the point, I like that," The wolf to his left said, who also seemed to lead the conversation. His companion, who was presumably his brother judging from their similar fur and faces, seemed to have just the work of looking as grim as possible.

"Let's say...mmh...we want to make the next months as comfortable as possible for you but this will costs you something, beaver," The grey one said and showed some of his teeth, apparently believing that this would be enough to intimidate, Elliot.

"Wow...blackmailing another cadet on the first day of the academy and demanding protection money. You two will be great cops in the future," Elliot replied and saw how the two looked confused at each other, to which he just could start to grin.

'I like it when they are confused, and their stupid plan doesn't work. As if I'm afraid of those two idiots! Pah! What should happen? I don't believe that they have the guts to really harm me. And with bullying and a little bit of beating I had to deal my entire life. Let them come,' Elliot thought and tried to look as brave as he could up to them, even so, he hated pain and even more fighting.

"I have no cash, and the money I have, which is somewhere else, can't be used by you."

"Why can't we use your money, do you think we are stupid? Do you want a bloody nose in the first five minutes you're here in the academy? I don't think so!"

Elliot exhaled deeply and shook his head a little bit.

"Do you two know what cryptocurrencies are?"

"Yes."

"No."

The tables were turned, and it was now on Elliot to lead the two towards a direction they didn't know and wouldn't even expect.

"You mean something like Zit-Coin?"

"Exactly," Elliot said and pointed with his right index finger towards the brothers, "...something like that, and I would need time to transfer this to a bank...to make, you know, 'real money' out of it. And in the end, did any of you saw anywhere in the academy an ATM? No! But! There's an even bigger problem."

"And that would be what, Beaver?"

"Even if I could give you two jerks some money, I wouldn't do it and not because I'm cheap with it, oh no. I simply don't like you two...that's all. You see, I have something against mammals, who want to take me out. It's nothing against you, but I have my principles," Elliot said grinning. Unimpressed about their intimidation, the beaver raised his short brown arm and flipped them off. A growl from the, until now, silent brother was the first reaction, but the leader of the two could just sigh about the response of Elliot and his brother.

"Okay, new plan beaver," The grey wolf said and grabbed Elliot harder by his shoulder. He opened with his other paw the door and gave Elliot a push. The sinister grin on the face of the wolf was the last thing Elliot saw before he trembled in the dark room behind him.

A hard fall followed. Elliot needed a moment to analyze his surroundings, he also had no unique night vision ability like foxes for example, so it took him a short while to adjust to the darkness around him. It seemed like a room for one mammal, probably for one of the trainer. Everything was clean, tidy and of course unused but the room was also darkened so he could say nothing of this for sure.

"Ahh, my tail...Great Elliot, you and your big mouth again...," Elliot murmured to himself.

A clicking sound echoed through the room and panic started to rise in the beaver.

'Oh fuck, no no no...they wouldn't...,' Elliot thought shortly before he heard a second clicking sound. Angered, Elliot stood up from the old and wooden floor, hammering with his paws against the door, '...shit. They would.'

"Hey, guys open the door. Stop this shit, and I will tell nobody."

"Of course you will tell nobody Anderson, or do you want to have this treatment every day? We give you ten minutes to think about another method to pay us, or we leave and say you have yourself looked in the room of Judy Hopps."

'Hopps room? Forget it! It's not important... at least not now! Think Elliot, think of a way to come out of here. The windows are closed, and we are in the second, oh sorry my bad, the fourth floor. So no way of jumping. I'm physically not strong enough to break the door, well I guess then remains only one possibility, and that is to cry like a little girl and to beg… Wait! They talk to someone! Is that Wilde? What does he want,' Elliot thought and pressed his ear against the wood of the door.

"Heyyyy... isn't that Bill and Jim? I haven't seen you two in a long time! How's it going," the voice of fox sounded as cocky as today in the bus.

"What do you want Wilde? We have business here to do! So take your new wolf buddy and get lost!"

"Business! Ahh, you're really two hard-working guys. Aren't you? And shouldn't such mammals get from time to time a decent meal into their bellies?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Wilde?"

"Oh gosh! The two didn't hear it. Well, that's a shame, right Nathan?"

"Definitely, it was delicious," Nathan said, and Elliot understood that both of them were playing a little game.

"Okay, what's going on here," the leading grey wolf asked.

"The cafeteria, they have a lot of fish steaks left from the last year of cadets. Shock frosted and still good. And everyone who walks past the kitchen gets something for free. Sounds good?"

"Can we go, Bill? That sounds good, and we two hadn't any fish in ages. Please?"

For a moment, Elliot could just hear how one of the wolves exhaled deeply.

"Fine...But we will come back to our little project."

The last words were so loud that even Elliot could understand them without any problems.

"Okay guys, see you later and don't forget to say that you want the share of Mr. Wilde and Mr. Graham, okay?"

"Why would you do that?"

"More for you? And we two had already a load of blueberries on the bus so you can have ours."

The clicking of claws on the wooden ground could be heard and that they moved slowly away from the door and the three mammals. When they had left the hallway, Nick seemed to closer to the door and asked carefully.

"Elliot?"

"Is that you Wilde?"

"Yes it's Nick, give me a second to get you out."

The two were chatting as if something funny had happened and not that two strong -looking wolves with the potential of being criminals tried to blackmail Elliot.

"What do you want to do Nick, open the door with a credit card?"

"Nathan, I'm shattered. Do you think I am like one of those one-dimensional characters from a badly written TV show with police officers?"

"Sorry, maybe a screwdriver?"

"Haha, Mr. Graham, you'll maybe not believe it, but I'm quite good in lockpicking."

"Oh, you have no idea how much I believe you, that you can do this too. And you can't imagine how much I want to hear the story to that."

"The story is not very long. It all started that in a bar, where I couldn't hold my muzzle shut and made fun about the abilities of a friend. He said he would owe me anything... and he does until today, when I made back into my apartment, just with lockpicking tools and that in two days. So I tried and tried and tried and finally, voila one and half a day and I was through. And this my friend taught me two things that day. One lockpicking is one hell of a fun."

Elliot could hear how Nick started to pick the lock of the door with the typical little click-sounds his work produced, not even half a minute and the door was open.

"And? What is number two?"

"That I need better locks for my apartment door."

Nick opened the door, and the first thing Elliot saw was a big smirk all over his face. Not that the beaver expected anything else from the fox. In a kind and thankfully manner, Elliot smiled back and tried for once, he tried to act as polite as possible.

"Thank you, Mr. Wilde, " the beaver said, but Nick looked just at Elliot with a confused gaze.

"I told you that you can call me Nick, okay? So stop that Mr-Wilde-thing, I'm not your math teacher or your elder," Nick said and let Elliot step out o

"Good...I wouldn't survive half a year to call you Mr. Wilde, but you know sometimes you have to be polite," Elliot said and chuckled.

"Oh buddy, but not with me and now we will lock this door up, to show Beavis and Butthead the magic trick of the disappearing beaver," Nick explained grinning and got back to his work. Nathan seemed not pleased with the idea of locking it up again and with that fooling the two wolf brothers.

"Don't you think this will bring even more problems? I mean we're not even an hour here, and you already have two groups of mammals as your enemy," Nathan explained and looked worried to Nick, who stowed away his bundle of lock picks.

All three mammals stood up and walked to their room at the end of the hallway. Nick in front of Elliot and Nathan and both of them waiting for an answer.

"Of course it will bring more problems, whoopsie number one they will come back pissed at us because there was nothing to eat for them but that's okay, they owe me something. Whoopsie number two they think Elliot is still in there and of course, they'll try to get him out, what will not work. Because I manipulated the lock, the key will no longer work. And whoopsie number threesies, they'll start to panic, let the key in the lock and go back to their rooms. Later they will see you and everything will go back to normal. They're maybe idiots but no mammals that hurt others so fast," Nick explained.

Elliot was a little perplexed about Nick's fast analysis of the two and the situation itself, but he was even more surprised that Nick didn't care for the reactions of the two. Slowly, I came to Elliot that Nick knew those thugs personally. But just when he wanted to expand that thought, he remembered something the fox said to the two brothers.

"Wait, there are no fish steaks for them?"

"Yeah...no, that was a lie. We met another trainer, who ordered Nathan and me to clean the floor of the cafeteria...and that just because we were at the wrong time at the right place. But we could extricate ourselves from this delicate situation and send somebody in exchange. I think you should know, who this is, " Nick spoke on, all three walked now right beside each other. Nathan who was on the right side turned to the other two and added with a shrug, "I would've just cleaned the floor. No big deal."

Nick sighed and looked pitifull up to Nathan, "You are definitely too good for this world...remembers me of Judy."

Nathan heard this and Elliot could see how his red inner ears dropped. The black wolf responded just meekly, "Sorry...Just want to do the right thing."

"Jep...Just like Judy," Nick added with a grin, before Elliot spoke to his left, "Wait! You said that they will not harm us, well not immediately. Do you know them?"

Just to make sure that the three of them were alone, Nick looked over his shoulder and started all over to speak.

"Listen, guys, you have to know one thing about me, and that is that I know everybody in Zootopia. I'm not proud of it, but once, I worked with those little blockheads together. Their Names are Jim and Bill Meyer. They are some petty criminals, much talk but almost no action and famous for selling anything they could get into their dirty paws. That is the reason why they don't even say hello or goodbye to me. Our last meeting was...let's say not very profitable for me, and they left me hanging in a situation that could turn out very dangerous. But I don't know what they want here, I think we have to wait and see."

Elliot stared up to Nathan, but he could also just raise his paws and shake his head.

'This fox... he was the only one, about whom I could find almost no information. No address, no list of friends, no other information, just a sister that lived in the city and sometimes wrote something on his Furbook page...but in general? Nothing,' Elliot remembered his last search about information for Nicholas P. Wilde.

"I think after this little incident, I brew us a nice cup of tea and then we will meet Sergeant Friedkin and run until we drop dead tired into our beds. Sounds great right," Nick said and opened the door to their room.

The first thing they saw was an almost snow white hare who packed his belongings, in one of the lockers. Nick looked for one moment a little bit dazzled but just three seconds and fox's smile was back where it belonged.

"Nick Wilde, nice to meet you. You must be Smith...our remaining roommate?"

As soon as the hare heard Nick's voice, he turned to the three but focused only on Nick. With a delighted expression on his face and a sparkle in his brown eyes, he rushed over to Nick to shake the one offered paw with two of his own. Enthusiastic he shook Nick's paw, and Elliot thought, 'Holy cow, does he want to rip out the arm of Nick?'

"Trevor, Smith. Please believe me, it's an honor to meet you one of the city's heroes."

Some seconds would be enough to great Nick, but with every passing second became the situation more and more awkward, 'Something is wrong with this hare...but on paper, he looked like a completely average guy, almost like nothing special at all.'

"Wowowo not so formal Trevor, I'm just a mammal like you. So no need to be like… this. Besides I can introduce you two other great mammals, our roommates Nathan Graham and Elliot Anderson," Nick said and pulled his paw back. In the same moment, he pushed the hare, with his other paw to their other two roommates, who still stood wholly ignored in the door frame.

In an instant, the formerly happy face of Trevor turned into a cold mask and all the other two got from the hare was a short response.

"Hey."

"Can't you even say prop hello, you little...," Elliot began to raise his small fist and walked toward Trevor, but Nathan held him back with one paw and shook his head. Elliot looked up into the blue and green eye of Nathan and decided that the black wolf was right.

"Whatever...," Elliot sighed and threw his bags on the double bed which was on the left of the door.

Not even carrying who they were, Trevor turned around and returned to his task of packing his locker.

'What the hell was that? One thing is for sure, I don't like him, and I know it will not change so fast, but good thing Nathan held me back...he seems to be a good guy,' Elliot thought and looked back to Nick, who stood still in the middle of the room and smiled at him and Nathan.

"So...tea?"

Twenty minutes later and an annoying hare fewer, all three sat on their beds enjoying the tea Nick had made for them. It was a green tea with lemon flavor, but it was not too bitter or strong, just precisely what you needed in the middle of the day. It was then Nathan who broke the comfy silence.

"When do we have to meet, for the first round through the environmental parkour, Nick?"

Elliot looked at the clock of his, laptop, which was running some standard tasks, like cracking the wifi password of the academy office, which was right below them or searching for some more information about the other cadets, some more information can never be wrong. Especially about two wolves who tried to blackmail you.

"3 PM, you two still have an hour left."

Nick who played with his guitar till this moment stopped and grinned at Elliot.

"I think we should have a little talk with Mr. Anderson here. I mean as roommates it can only be a good thing if we learn a little bit about the other. For what are you here Elliot? Do you want to become the first beaver police officer?"

"Officer? Hell no! I'm here for a job in the Data Center Unit of the ZPD. But unfortunately, I have to take also 6 months of training to become one. You know, we are all equal here in Zootopia, so everyone gets equal training and blablabla. But if you ask me...I go into the IT department, there is no need to bother me with this bullshit. As long as I can lift a hard drive or a whole computer...I'm fine," Elliot said with a grin and continued to type like crazy on his laptop.

"Oh yeah good old Zootopia double standards, let us all do the same things and not what we can do best, right? There are still a lot of mammals who don't understand the difference between equality and equity."

"Exactly, finally someone who knows what I'm talking about. I like you, fox. You seem like someone who also saw the dirty sides of this city."

A big smile appeared on Elliot's face, but for a strange reason, Elliot didn't understand why he was smiling like an idiot. Yes, he had a great conversation with Nick and Nathan until now, and even more, Elliot could stand them. Until now, he had enough of most other mammals. But not them. Something seemed to be different about those two guys.

"So, what's the thing the lost son of the Anderson family can do best? And don't worry your secrets are safe with the two of us," Nick said with a wink to Elliot, while he took another sip from his tea mug. Nathan, who was still waiting to drink his tea, sat on the only table in the room and blew into his cup so that it cooled down faster. Interested in who Elliot was, Nathan raised his head, the cup in both of his paws and still blowing, while he watched the fox and the beaver, sitting on each of the lower beds of a loft bed. The one on which Nick sat was, in fact, Nathan's bed, but he had no problem with the fox sitting on it.

'He knows, that I have no idea about his background but he also knows exactly who I am...not that this is such a difficult task. Alma once said that I can't shut every mammal out of my life...Maybe I should try my luck with those too. I mean...Nick knows a lot of stuff and mammals. Not to forget that he saved me...and Nathan, well he seems to be a good guy,' Elliot thought and sighed. Nick's green eyes were still on the beaver, waiting for him to speak.

"I… was not the best son and didn't do the things my parents wanted from me. My siblings were different, they're more... obeying. And so they did, what was the right thing to do for a member of the Anderson family...," Elliot explained with a lot of sarcasm in his voice.

'Damn it's difficult to talk about this topic, I mean I never did this before. It was every time me against the world and no one else. There was no help or somebody I could rely on, well except for...Alma. But those two guys...they don't want to mock me and don't seem to be after my money. Nathan doesn't even seem to know what money is, just look at him, how happy he drinks his tea. As if he had no bad thought in his whole body. Everything, all other mammals ever wanted from me was money, as the wolves did before. Their interest was focused only on one topic of my life, and that was also the one I tried to escape,' Elliot thought and didn't know how to continue, but to his luck proceeded Nick, where Elliot couldn't.

"I know it is hard to talk about something like this, even I needed help to see what I did wrong and how it could be fixed…And if you don't want to talk about it you don't have too, we will not force you to anything." Elliot didn't understand why, but from somewhere deep inside him, he had the urge to tell Nick and Nathan everything. And just for a moment, he wanted to know what made this devilish fox so trustworthy? He had no idea but maybe time would tell, and perhaps this was all a big mistake...but he hoped not.

"It's okay, I think I can trust you two. And the problem with my past is that I didn't do anything wrong in the first place. No really...you see, my parents forced me into schools I hated and let me go a way that wasn't, my own. I was there the first son, and they had the high hopes I would proceed in a principal function of 'Anderson Pharmaceuticals'. So they gave me all the training, schools and treatments it needs to lead a company and go on with their work to make it even more significant."

It was Nathan who sat there with an open mouth and couldn't believe what he heard right now, his

"Wait you are the son of…? Nick, I thought that was fun you made there?"

"Nope. You have here the oldest son of the richest family in the whole of Zootopia, Elliot Anderson. Heir of 'Anderson Pharmaceuticals' and more or less sixty-eight billion dollars," Nick said but added a short, "...If we can believe the last estimation of the North Mammelia Business Inquirer. Sorry, Elliot, I interrupted you."

"Don't worry. It's not that it's a secret or anything, but I guess I have to disappoint you, but I'm no longer the heir to their company or money...and that I say with thanks," Elliot replied and seemed relieved about this fact.

"I guess money isn't everything," Nick said and shook his tea mug before he took another sip from it.

"No...no it isn't. I broke with them, and for that, they disinherited me...but enough about that," Elliot said and finished his own tea before he moved on, "You see, the more my parents gave me power and responsibility, the more I was turned to other things and did what I liked and what I liked more than anything else were computers, programming and all the things that stand in connection to them. I write code and execute it, and it does exactly what I want, the only limitation that is left is my own level of skill."

Elliot exhaled deeply, the next thing was something nobody knew about him, at least until this moment, "I was expelled from my first school because I hacked the IT system and manipulated my own grades. I didn't care about the classes I had to take part, all I wanted and needed, I found on the internet. But my parents didn't let me go my way, and I had to attend two more boarding schools, but you can already guess it, I had their similar problems… In the end, I dropped out at the age of 16 and lived from that time by myself. I abandoned my family and never looked back. After the whole Night Howler case, I thought about my life and my current situation, on TV I saw an interview with Judy Hopps. In the show, she talked about dreams and finding an aim in life. I didn't know why but something told me that this is the right thing to do. Well, I would be safe, I could do something useful, and maybe I find something I can work for in my life. It's stupid I know."

"Not in the slightest," Nick replied but looked at Elliot as if he knew that there was more. Almost, as if he knew that Elliot spared the most significant part of his story for another time. To avoid another question of the fox and also his knowing gaze, Elliot turned to Nathan and asked him in advance, the first thing that came to his mind, "What is with you Nathan, where is your family?"

"I would say somewhere on a graveyard, but that's just an assumption," Nathan replied the confused looking beaver, but added quickly, "Sorry...I shouldn't reply in such a way. You see, I lived until my nineteenth birthday, which was yesterday, in an orphanage, that's located in the Meadowlands of Zootopia.

"I-I'm sorry to hear that...," Elliot replied in shame, and this was a rare feeling for him. He had mostly no problem to insult other mammals for their behavior or other shortcomings, but he felt that Nathan wasn't one of the mammals who deserved such an answer.

"Don't be...I had a good time there, and there's nothing to be sorry about. That's it...and now it's your turn, Nick, " Nathan replied with a genuine smile and turned his gaze to Nick, who had already stood his mug on the floor and was occupied playing with his guitar. Casually, he plucked on the strings on his guitar and played a slow version of Come as you are.

"Well, this handsome fox here hustled on the streets of Zootopia since he is twelve years old, which makes by now twenty...years...," For a moment, Nick stopped his play and gazed mindlessly on the wall beside Elliot who sat on his bed on the other side of the room, "...twenty years...where does the time go? Whatever, If you ever want a name, a story or something 'else' just ask me. I know everybody, and I know how to get everything in this crazy town."

Nathan and Elliot looked now both to Nick, how he sat there plucking his guitar from time to time with a dreamy face, that turned more and more into pure sadness.

"I know what you both think, money, woman, fun! That is the dream everybody wants to live. But it was more a nightmare than anything else. On the streets you can trust no one and also the mammals who are close to you can be gone on the next day, either because of their work or because of the police or other reasons. This city is not the paradise everybody thinks it is. The meaninglessness, the fear, and the loneliness will bring you to a point, where you question all your decisions. But you walk on because you knew nothing else and you see no alternative. It was a very depressing circle, and the strangest thing is, that a bunny has to come along to break this circle by hustling me. I mean me? A hustler hustled by a bunny? From this day on, I knew that there were mammals in this world which make a difference and I knew she's one of those, who will make this world a better place," Nick ended his monologue and a moment of silence fell over the small room.

In the end, it was Nathan who broke the silence and said, "Well, we're all a pretty bunch of misfits, don't you think so?"

All three began to chuckle, but it developed fast into a burst of loud laughter, that probably echoed even over the whole floor. But none of them cared. Tired of sitting, Nick stood up from his bed and walked over to the window, which showed him the running track. Smiling, he spoke.

"And we are not the only ones. That's for sure. Judy is basically the definition of a misfit, I can tell you. But I think there is another one in this academy who could need a little help, to succeed in this southern region. Elliot, you can gather information about other mammals, right? I mean hack websites and so one?"

"Are you accusing me, a decent citizen of this town, to break the law," Elliot said grave and looked at Nick. Both mammals could hold it together for maybe five seconds before both shared a peal of little laughter. Nathan smiled just at the two and turned back to the book, he had in front of him about the history of the continent Midland and the Kings who tried to build empires but failed every time.

"Okay, fun aside. About whom are we talking," Elliot asked, and Nick could see that the beaver was eager to prove himself.

"There was this polar vixen, what was her name? Stella...Stella Conroy! I don't know why but something tells me that she will get problems and out of my own past, it's not good to hang out with more than one vixen at a time, except you are related to them...but even then it can get kinda messy."

Grinning about the edge of his laptop, Elliot looked to the fox and spoke, "Oh-ho, looks like someone has an interest in another female fox? Should I reserve a table for you and the lady, maybe some candles, a bottle of wine...some light music?"

"Sorry El, but she's not my type. Too large, too small ears and not the right fur color combination. Too few greys…," Nick said and walked over to the window of the room, from which he could see

Elliot turned to Nathan with a dazzled gaze, but all the black wolf did was to shake his head and turned back to his book.

'He knows something...but what,' Elliot asked himself.

"I've no idea, what you're talking about, but yeah, Nick, I'll dig a little bit in the dirt for you,"

"Thanks, I owe you one," Nick said his view went over to the training area, where right now just a white hare ran his laps. Happy about the new task, Elliot began to type like crazy but yelled to Nick, "Oh, you owe me for sure, buddy."

* * *

 **Stella**

* * *

Over 1000 miles away from home and everything felt so much lighter here in the near of Zootopia for Stella. Finally, she could be what she always wanted to be, but even more, maybe Stella could one day also be together with whom she wanted. No more hiding and no more denying. And the best of all she found instantly some other vixen which accepted her in their little group.

'Okay, they are sometimes a little bit too girly, but I think that is something I can endure, at least for the moment, I mean with all the things I witnessed. Maybe I will find someone more mature over time,' Stella thought when she was on her way back from the shower, where she could finally lose all the sand that was in her fur. The jogging was one part of the work this afternoon, but the different ecosystem, especially the one for Sahara Square was real torture. And Stella didn't understand how but this fox, Nicholas Wilde, was the first one to cross the finishing line. Sgt. Friedkin, our trainer, was totally perplexed. She said that he even beat the record of the best runner of this course. And the best runner until now was no one else but Judy Hopps herself.

'He was a strange mammal, even for Zootopia standards and the Darlia sisters also told me that he would be the police officer partner of Judy Hopps. I mean what a strange combo is that? I can't think that in the north, in Fairbanks, where I came from, something like this could ever happen. Not that anything good or spectacular ever occur in this wasteland. Nothing but snow, wood, and mountains. If you are lucky you have one week of summer with more than 8 hours of sun a day, mostly there were three weeks with rain before the cold crept slowly back from the mountains. It's a lonely and harsh live up there, and I know exactly why I wanted to leave this place, well because of this and other events that occurred there,' Stella thought and walked into the room, she shared with the Darlia sisters.

"Hey, girls what's up?"

Stella stepped into the room and looked to the left Leila and Mona were like always on their beds, looking on their phones. Cathy was still in front of a mirror brushing her fur. She felt from a ladder in the rainforest district of the course and had to shower several times to get the last parts of the dirt out. Stella, however, sat on her bunk bed and let her gaze wander between the sisters.

"Oh god, Stella how did you get all the dirt out of your fur?" Cathy asked from still brushing her red fur.

"Pretty easy, I didn't fell into the mud," Stella replied with a grin.

Cathy sounded a little bit pissed about Stella's answer but didn't even tried to hide it, "Thanks, that's something I have to keep in mind for tomorrow. But besides that, how could Nick run so fast through the whole course? I mean he didn't even seem to get any dirt on his fur, that is so unfair."

'It is strange, they warned me very specific about Nicholas Wilde, but every time they have the opportunity, they start a new talk just about him. You could come to the conclusion that they're into him. Not that I have any interest, I mean I'm more into my own gender. Something for which I needed a long time to realize and to accept. Up in the north, everything is much more complicated. All of this is still a topic nobody wants to talk about, it's not forbidden but also not directly allowed. And I had no one, I could talk to. Mum was long dead. Father was sunken into his own grief, and I think until today, he isn't aware what his own daughter feels or wants. With no one to talk to and everyone in the town against me, the best chance I had was to go...and to never return,' Stella daydreamed while she stared at the wall behind two of the three sisters.

"Stella?"

"What? Have I missed something?"

"Yes, we talked about the newest gossip from Zootopia interspecies couples, Leila said more and more are seen in Zootopia. There are even Furbook pages which discuss this topic."

"And?"

Stella was confused. Wasn't that completely normal here?

"And? That is wrong, so wrong. We should stay in our species and don't do any weird experiments, just because we like it. I heard someone has already seen a predator-prey couple. Can you imagine something like that?"

"I'm one hundred percent with you sis. I mean what's the next thing a Lion and a Zebra? That is not even funny, that is simply disgusting," Leila said, not even looking up from her phone.

Stella was shocked, they lived their whole life in this town and should know for what it stands. What is happening here? Stella went south to escape those thoughts and behavior, but they seem to be no different. Leila looked deep in the eyes of the arctic vixen and waited for a reply, Stella could feel how she slowly became angry and her mood sunk with every minute she had to listen to this conversation.

"And you Stella? What do you think about this?"

It was a test, and Stella knew that. Leila just wanted to see her reaction.

'Okay, you want a reaction, you will get one,' Stella thought and smiled slightly.

"I think what two mammals do and feel is their private thing and shouldn't be determined through others, no matter who or what they are."

This was definitely the wrong answer. Leila glared at Stella and seemed as if she had the wish to slap the arctic vixen.

'Oh bitch, come here and try. You will see what you will get if you touch me,' Stella thought and prepared herself for a fight.

"Stella... I thought you are an intelligent mammal, things like interspecies relationships shouldn't exist, everything that is against nature shouldn't exist. Interspecies, same-sex couples or some weird mammals who don't know what their sexuality is. Disgusting all of them, if you ask me everything that is out of order should be forbidden. Dirty freaks, that's what they are...all of them."

"Idiots."

"What did you say?"

"I said I need some fresh air."

'Out...I need to get out of here as fast as possible. I can't stand this, I know what happened the last time, and I'm tired of wandering and searching a new home for myself. And finally, when I thought, I found a new one,'

Stella thought and stood up. She went fast to the door and could still hear Leila shouting behind her, but she didn't care, she could scream and lament as long as she wanted.

Stella shut the door, closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. Another three names she could cancel from her list of trustful mammals, how could she be so wrong about them? Mona didn't say anything to the show of her sisters, but that is not needed. Standing silent beside the one pulling the trigger doesn't make you innocent.

'You know how it works, Stella. Slowly breathing, count to ten and everything will be better,' the vixen thought and began to count, while she still leaned against the door.

One…

Two…

Three…

Four…

Five…

"Ah, Ms. Conroy! What's up, trouble in paradise?"

There was no need for opening her eyes to see Nick's smirk, and Stella couldn't help herself to smile a little bit too. He stood there, still with his training outfit, drinking a cup of tea and leaning against the window in front of the door to his room. Nick never seemed to lose the calm that was around him.

"Paradise? You mean hell. The bitches in there are going crazy and that just because I said my opinion," Stella said and strolled with the paws in her pockets over to the red fox.

"Autsch seems like you had a nasty conversation but good that I meet you alone, I wanted to talk to you anyway," Nick said grinning over his mug.

Stella stood herself next to him and also leaned against the window as he did. Stella took a short glance at Nick and thought, 'Maybe he is a better company than the vixen in there...What am I thinking! Of course, he's a better company.'

"You have no idea...talking, educated and with technology equipped mammals arguing with me about the fact that it's against nature to love the mammal you want, no matter what species or gender it has."

"Ah, the golden Zootopia double standards, I talked today already with Elliot about such a topic," Nick said, while he smiled in his tea mug.

"I thought here is everything different," Stella replied and sighed.

"Not everything, idiots are still idiots and gangsters are still gangsters. Believe me, that is something nobody can change, especially the thing with the idiots."

Stella was curious, they told so many stories about him, and she didn't know if any of them were correct. Maybe she should just ask him, he seemed to be a direct guy or at least no one who judges you so easily.

"The vixen in there told me you had an interesting life before you joined the ZPD."

"Had? I didn't know I am already dead," Nick replied smiling.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I can tell you so far every story you heard about me is partly true but mostly wrong."

"What does, that mean?"

He grinned at Stella before he took another sip from his tea.

"It means you shouldn't believe everything other mammals tell you. Stories are like water you put in a glass, you think you know everything and what is in front of you is the 'truth'. But the truth is never pure and rarely simple... Somebody can, for example, put tea in it or coffee, boil it and voila you have a delicious hot drink but no longer the 'truth' you had before. Some will like coffee others will prefer tea others will demand just the water and will also not like what they get."

Stella looked at him with a suspicious gaze, but he just kept his grin.

"Sorry, I had no better explanation."

"Don't worry, I think I understand...Why are you here Nick, this doesn't seem to be the right place for a mammal like you? You seem to be a guy from the streets, free and unbound. I knew mammals like you," Stella said and waited for his reaction. Her eyes scanned his face for any strange expression.

"There are no mammals like me, sweetheart, just me."

Smiling, Stella crossed her arms in front of her chest, "You're really convinced of yourself, aren't you Mr. Wilde?"

"Oh of course, but you should see me at night in a bar. I bet I could get you a date in no time. Male, female, just say what you want, and I find you a nice companion for the night. You should remember, I know everybody, "Nick said, and Stella could just laugh about his behavior. She could feel, that he was cheering her up.

"Maybe I'll come back to that offer...well, one day. Not now," Stella replied, smiling but with red inner ears.

"To come back to your question, yes I was such a free mammal but no longer."

"What happened?"

"Would you believe me, if I told you that a bunny hustled me into the ZPD?" Nick asked with a sly grin on his face.

"Hahaha, no," Stella laughed and waited for Nick to drop the punchline of his joke.

"Good, because that's exactly what happened."

Stella was dazzled, and for a moment, she was simply speechless, 'What's going on in this town, bunnies outsmart foxes and drag them into the police?'

"And what is with you, you look like someone who is a fan of whiskey and pub brawls and not some girly vixen who likes to giggle over every little joke or the newest style tips to get the mammal of your dreams," Nick said and took the last gulp from his mug.

"Is it so obvious?"

"Partly it is but mostly not, and that's why I let Elliot dig a little bit in your past, and I have to apologize for this right away because I hate doing such things. But in my defense...I thought you could need a helping paw down her in the south," Nick said and Stella could

Stella should be mad about his behavior but to be honest, had no one showed so much interest in her and her life in the last years. And so, she just played along, waiting what his aim is.

"So Mr. Wilde tries to uncover the truth, what did you find out?"

'I thought that I would be angry about this, but it seems like he didn't do this to blackmail me or use it for other favors, that only a male mammal could ask for. Let's play along and see what they found out,' Stella thought and put on her best smile.

"You run away from something, I can see that, but it's not a little dispute with your parents. If it's just that you would probably drive around the villages and smaller towns around Fairbanks and search the local bars for distraction. But you didn't."

At this point, Stella turned around and looked outside the window, trying not to feel too much, while Nick explained more about what he found. But she could already feel a sting in her chest that became stronger and stronger with every sentence.

"You could just move out, but then you would probably go to a bigger town not so far away like Deertroit or New Yack. But you didn't. You came here to Zootopia, to start a whole new life."

'He's good...but by the three goddesses why does he have to make me feel all these things again?'

"You broke with your hometown and this completely. You traveled over a thousand miles, south just to lose any remaining connection," Nick said and exhaled deeply. It seemed that the things he had found had moved even him emotionally.

"I'm...no we're sorry what happened up there... What should I say, we found the news articles and the Furbook entries. It's not hard connecting everything and draw your conclusion from it. And I can tell you, I understand why you left your home I would have done the same. Damn, I would have burned down the whole goddamn city," Nick said and looked now just like Stella, out of the window. Stella's eyes became wet, and she knew that she couldn't hold it back for much longer.

"Do you were ever up there in the north?"

"No, never was."

"Things are burning not so good in the cold and icy environment . . . Believe me, I tried,"

For the moment, Nick remained silent and watched just Stella.

'I was crying or better to say tears run down my face, but I don't feel anything. At least no longer. Let's admit it, this conversation would end like any other I had about my past. Nick would go, and I would be left alone...,' Stella thought but to her surprise laid Nick his arm around her shoulder. At first, she was startled about the sudden affection and had instantly negative thoughts about the fox. That he could take advantage of the situation or what not, but he did nothing like this. He was just there for her. Nothing more and nothing less.

In the end, it was Stella, who turned to Nick and pressed herself against his chest. At this point it was too late, Stella couldn't hold back what was in her for so long. She didn't know this fox, but at this point, she didn't care, Nick held her and gave her consolation. That was all Stella needed at the moment and more she could ever ask for.

The two foxes stood there on the floor for maybe ten or more minutes, she didn't know how long it was exactly, and it didn't matter in the end.

"Thanks, Nick…," Stella replied and parted slowly from him, leaning back at the window.

"Your welcome and don't worry, I have a lot of experience consoling vixen," Nick said and smiled back at her, with a tissue in his paws. Stella took the gesture and cleaned her face, as good as she could.

"And now you will give me the option to pay a lot of money, or you will tell everybody about it, right?"

Stella chuckled a little bit about her own last sentence, but his smile didn't vanish.

"Not even close. Elliot hacked the sites and took down the news articles about the incidents and most of the connections that led to them. We will tell nobody what happened, but I see that you are still skeptical, right Ms. Conroy."

"You're fooling me fox?"

"Tse, Ms. Conroy...Look it up if you don't believe me," Nick said with a smile and took a sip from his cup.

Stella couldn't believe what she just heard, she had tried so hard on a legal way to let these articles be removed, and he just had to ask a friend? Her phone, Stella had to check it. With shaking paws, she got her phone out of her jeans pocket and visited one of the bookmarks she had saved for these sites. In retrospective, she couldn't even remember how many times she had read these articles with tears in her eyes and incredible anger in her soul about the things that happened.

'They are gone...the sites are no longer there, well at least the news articles about the incident. Dammit, I could cry again but this time because of different reasons. For the first time in the last years, there's no sign of my past. And it feels so liberating. But why did Nick do that for me?'

"Thank you, Nick, but can I really trust you? I mean, what you did was nice, but when you know how to remove it, you also know how to bring it back, right? I'm sorry, Nick, but I can that I can't trust you just like that, why should you help me? You don't even know me...," Stella said and awaited now some accusations from Nick's side but what she saw was his old grin.

"Ahh, now I get it. You need something against me, to feel safe. Suspicious little vixen. Look."

Nick took his phone out of his pocket and searched there for something, 'As if he could show me something that could shock me or change my mi...This can't be real. Maybe a fake, something…they made with photo editing software or something like this,' Stella thought but was again perplexed by Nick's honesty.

"It's not forced if you think this. We shoot it this morning and believe me, if you went with this to any newspaper or TV station in Zootopia, the town would burn. But I trust you, so please keep it a secret."

Stella was blown away and she couldn't even completely understand what she saw, 'I mean he and her? Nothing against it from my side, but yeah that would get real messy in Zootopia, well at least if there is a bigger group in town, like the vixen in my room.'

"This is...that can't be real?"

"Oh, it is, 100%. And if you don't, believe me, I can show you pictures from the night before…," Nick said with a grin and began to swipe. Stella's light blue eyes went wide, and she turned away, to not see something that wasn't meant for her eyes.

"I-It's okay, I believe you," Stella replied, playing it down in the worst way possible.

Nick, however, laid an arm around her shoulder and whispered the next words in her ears, which were already glowing like tomatoes.

"Oh Stella, are you a little bit ashamed? Didn't think this is your weak point, I hoped for some weird quirks, you know? Maybe you like to collect sugar packs from every dinner you were in. Something like that but I never thought you would be so… prudish," Nick said, but with the last word, he blew a bit of air in Stella's ear. Her reaction was direct and undeniable. Stella's whole fur puffed up and the vixen looked now more like a fluffy white ball of fur.

'This damned fox. I maybe have a quick tongue, but sexual references are not my thing. Just some seconds, calm down Stella, I still need him to ask some questions,' Stella tried to breathe slowly, and in controlled fumes, while she tried to get her fur back in the state, it was some seconds ago.

"But I still don't understand why you did this for me. We're not related, and you don't seem to be interested in me at all?"

"I like you...as a friend. And I know from someone else how hard it is to come to a new big city and start all over. So see it as a little kick off for you to know who your friends are."

Stella looked for a while at her paws and thought about Nick's words. Smiling, she turned finally to him and said, "Okay, 'friend', I will take you by your word. If I ever need something, I will come to you."

"Good, then see you later Stella."

"Later? You mean tomorrow, right?"

"Ohh, I wouldn't be too fast with this explanation."

Nick turned back to his room with a grin and opened the door. Inside, Nathan and Elliot argued very loudly with each other about a topic only the two knew. With a large book in his paws, Nathan sat on the lower level of his bunk bed and spoke over to Elliot, who had his notebook on his lap and tipped from time to time some words into it. The poor Trevor, however, tried to hold a pillow to his sensitive ears, but it didn't seem to work.

"...he is real, believe me."

"He isn't, he is made up. I can show you the forum where he was created…"

"Can you two please stop talking about that nonsense? Someone of us wants to sleep," Trevor shouted finally back at the two, but it was Elliot who answered.

"Shut up Trevor, it is not even 9 PM! What are you, a child?"

Nick turned back to Stella, rolled his eyes in an excusing way and said, "Kids, heh?"

Giggling about his joke, Stella remained for a while at the window and stared at the training area and the fog that was gathering slightly above the ground.

'Winter is coming, and there is no denying of that, I hope winter means in the south, not the same cold nights like in Fairbanks,' Stella thought and a cold shiver ran down her spine, as she thought about the past in her hometown.

'Come on Stella, time to go back into the fox den,' She exhaled deeply and made her way over to her room and remembered the vixen and their great opinions about personal freedom.

'Oh boy, what a happy reunion will that be now?'

Stella opened the door and to her surprise stood all three vixens in the middle of the room, as if she were waiting for her. Only, Mona, the youngest of the three looked shy to the ground, but the other two were ready for a little conflict, her arms crossed in front of her chests.

"Okay girls, what do you want from me?"

"Stella, we talked about your upsetting statements from before…"

Stella couldn't help herself, she had to cross her arms and rolled with her eyes. Their eyelids came still closer together, and Stella knew, if a gaze could kill, then she would already be dead.

"...and you don't have to be so patronizing. Mammals like you, who come to this city and think they can do whatever they want and be like they want, make me sick. We have rules here and not just the ones that are written down, we have social rules that everybody accepts, who lives here. And one of them is no interspecies couples, no intersexual couples and the biggest no-no of all, no predator-prey couples! Things like that will be the downfall of our society!"

"So and what do you want from me, Leila?"

An evil grin appeared on her face, and it was nothing like Nick's, his smile was warm and kind no comparison to her. But this…

"Obey the rules and keep quiet. And we will have a fine time together, I mean you surely want to leave your status as an outsider on say behind you or Stella?"

"What if I don't give a fuck about what you say?"

Leila made a step towards Stekka and raised a paw to her chest. Her grin had completely disappeared, and all that remained was an angry gaze as if she would attack me at any second now.

"You have nobody down here, and you will listen to what we tell you. Or you have a terrible time…"

Stella had enough of this bullshit, she wanted to know now, how far the three vixens would go. With all the anger in her head, she leaned close to her face. Their muzzles now only inches away from each other.

"Do you want to threaten me? And what's more important, do you really think I need you? I was my whole life on my own, six months don't make a huge difference. And besides all of that, I have friends down here."

'Friends? Right! I've friends down here, why stay with this idiots? They had another bed empty and probably a locker for the rest of my stuff. Stella, you hang on to other mammals too long, who weren't good for you. Make a difference, at least this time.

Leila was a little bit cowed but still didn't step back. It was now Stella's turn, and instead of fighting, she just went to her locker and started to pack all cloth and all of her few belongings into her trunk.

"What are you doing?"

"I pack my things and go to another room."

"You can't do that!"

The command was out, but Stella didn't stop. Instead, she came close to the leading red vixen and spoke, "Why? Because you order me to stay, Leila? Forget it, I will not creep before you. Ask your sisters if you need somebody to do so."

Leila was perplexed, she didn't seem to expect this outcome, but she will also not give in or even apologize. Oh no, for this was her ego too big. Mona looked with a fascinating gaze at me, seems like she never saw how someone gave her sister contra.

Stella was again amazed that her whole life fit in this little trunk, that she still had from her aunt. She bet that each of the three vixens has at least three times the amount of stuff in her locker, if not even more.

Stella waved a last time to the siblings but didn't look back. With fast feet, Stella walked over to the room of Nick, Elliot, Nathan, and Trevor.

For a moment, Stella wondered why there was no sound of a slamming door. A quick look behind her showed that the sisters stood in the doorframe and watched every step she did. 'Those little...calm down Stella and let it go. They're not worth it.'

Three short knocks at the door and the first things Stella see are the two sleepy and different colored eyes of Nathan. Some mammals find it strange, but I think it looks quite cool.

"Good evening Ms. Conroy, how can I help you," Nathan asked with a sleepy smile. He wore the formal ZPA clothes any new cadet gets at his or her first day.

"Do you still have a free bed," Stella asked with a begging smile.

"Sure thing, come in," The black wolf replied and walked back into the room.

'He doesn't seem to care that I want to sleep in here, well if you think of his past as an orphan...Just like me, another one with a troublesome past,' Stella thought and followed him. Elliot was still at his laptop typing like crazy. Nick laid in his bed on the higher bed above Nathan, writing something on his phone. Nathan just dropped back into his bed under Nick and seemed to sleep instantly. Trevor, however, laid there with his back to me, so there was no way to tell if he was asleep or not. Looking down from his bed, Nick glanced over his phone and started a new conversation.

"Hey there, need a helping paw?"

"Sure, if it is not too bad for any of you to let a female mammal sleep in here?"

Elliot looked up from his work and had this puzzled look on his face instantly.

"Why should we? I don't see any problem with that, and you can take the bed right over me. You seem to be light, which means not so many noises when you are moving," Elliot said and turned back to his laptop.

Stella was slightly confused because she had never heard such a weird compliment or maybe it was no? She started to unpack her things in one of the last free lockers, not even five minutes and she was done.

'Oh holy polar bear, if this academy is over, I have to go shopping...maybe even with some other female mammals… Don't dream too much Stella, you never know what comes next. But for once, I feel good in the company of those three...but I'm still not sure about Trevor. Time will tell.'

Finally, Stella could lay on her bed and get some rest. But as soon as she rested her head on the pillow, she had to think, 'About the day, the drive, the training, the crazy fox sisters, the conversation with Nick, Nathan and… Elliot! Right, what am I for a dummy?'

Stella robbed to the edge of her bed and looked down to Elliot, his chin on his right paw, apparently deep in thought. Stella tried to whisper to him, to let the other two sleep in peace.

"Elliot?"

He glanced to her with a small smile on his face.

"Yes?"

"I wanted to thank you for taking down the articles. That was very nice of you."

"Don't worry that's what friends are for, besides it was good training and something I didn't do in a long time. It was fun, so don't worry."

"But we didn't even know each other?"

"I saw and could imagine what happened in this articles. And believe me, you, Nathan, Nick and myself have more in common that qualifies us as friends than anyone else in this academy."

"How...how can you know that," Stella whispered down to him.

"Well, I hacked the ZPA server and read all info about this year's recruits. Obvious isn't it," Elliot said and looked for a moment over the edge of his laptop.

"Yeah...obvious. Anyway, thank you, Elliot."

His gaze went back to the flickering screen but not without some last word from him.

"Your welcome."

A last quick smile to him and Stella made herself comfortable again in this new environment.

'Relax Stella, it only can be better from here on, now is time to sleep.'

But every time she tried to close her eyes, she saw the picture that Nick showed her earlier, 'Is it true what I saw there? A fox and a bunny? This can be no fake, who would do something like this? Yes, Nick likes standing in the spotlight but obviously just with his own work, and he didn't seem like someone who takes advantage of other mammals. It really looks as if he really loves her... and she seems to love him. Her smile was so genuine. I mean what do I know?'

Sleep didn't want to come, and it was the fault of this damned photo, and so her mind went on, 'Something like this never existed... but there was also never a bunny cop before. Brain stop it! Well at least better than the horrible pictures of my past, I have normally in my head.'

From all around her she heard the sleeping sounds of three other mammals. The short but fast breathing of Trevor, the long and deep inhales of Nathan and the quiet snoring of Elliot from below her. Just one other mammal was still awake.

Stella stared for another five minutes at the ceiling but it was no help, the same thoughts like before were going through her mind over and over again, till she saw the weak glowing of Nick's phone. And there it was, the cutest thing she saw in a long time.

Nick had the softest and most sincere smile on his face that Stella ever saw on a mammal's face, and he looked with a gaze full of love down to his phone. Apparently, he was recording a little voicemail for 'someone'.

"Goodnight Judy. I love you."

Not even thirty seconds later and the answer from Judy arrived.

"I love you to Nick, until Thursday."

"Ohhhhh!"

'Stupid Stella! You didn't really ohhh-d because of the sweet scene you saw seconds ago? What am I? Thirteen? And in the last minutes of a romantic movie? Come on, after all, he did today you eavesdrop on him? Again I had the false assumption about Nick and thought he would get angry...but he didn't,' Stella thought and tried not to move in her bed or make any sound.

"I know that you are awake Stella, you tossed yourself around from one side of the bed to the other for the last thirty minutes," Nick said. You could hear the grin on his face with every syllable he spoke.

'He got you, don't try to hide it…,' Stella thought and turned slowly over to him, "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't listen."

"Well there was no way around in this tiny room, besides everyone else is fast asleep and you already know it, so no big problem."

"Nick?"

"Yes?"

"You really love her, do you?"

"More than anything else in the world."

"Thanks."

Stella heard an almost silent chuckle coming from the other side of the wall, together with a little question, "Thanks...for what?"

"That you didn't lie to me. I didn't know what to think about this but now...now I think it's clear."

"Your welcome."

Stella smiled to herself and turned around, 'Maybe I get a little bit of peace finally in my sleep…'

And for the first time in months, she had a quiet and dreamless night. The events of her past were forgotten...well at least for now.


	8. The Bunny of Caerbannog

8\. The Bunny of Caerbannog

"I warned you, but did you listen to me? Oh, no, you knew, didn't you? Oh, it's just a harmless little bunny, isn't it?." - John Cleese

 **Judy**

4 days, it was just 4 days without my fox and I wished that it don't even need to be one. I missed him during the nighttimes, where he whispered romantic things into my ears or I could snuggle into his red and soft fur. I missed him during the daytime where his smile signaled me that everything will be fine and his eyes soothing me whenever I needed.

Yes sure Pati and I had some fun time together but it was something totally different without my fox. It was as if another part of me was missing and that after such a short time. If he feels the same?

It was 6 am in the morning and I was wandering over the academy area, so if you want to know if I could sleep well, the answer is no. Which is the only reason why I was wearing sunglasses because I don't wanted to look to devastated in front of my self defense course with Nick and the other cadets.

The best thing is to look at first into the cafeteria, breakfast time should be here by now and maybe they have a coffee for me. The hallway to the cafeteria was cold and uninviting as ever but I could hear the growing sound of voices in the air.

And there it was the same chaos as ever, big mammals arguing about schedules and trainings. It is hard to find the table with the smaller mammals, as I remember I had to sit between lions, wolves and tigers. But today was different, there were multiple medium and smaller sized mammals that take on the training to become a police officer. I could take the credit for this on me but this is ridiculous other mammals also had hard work on bringing new ones to the force.

Everybody were already in their grey trainings suits and there behind two leopards I could finally see the black and red ears of my fox, his head on the table and a steaming cup in his right paw. Did he tried to sleep in this chaos? Let's see if I can wake you a little bit up. Right besides him sat Nathan trying to finish the bowl of cornflakes in front of him, Elliot the hacking beaver seems to finished his meal already and was reading something on his phone. And diagonally opposed to him sat the beautiful white polar vixen, I still didn't understand why she was in a room with Nick? I mean there is also another room with 3 vixen, why…

You are jealous Judy. Stop that, you know what he gave up for you and what he promised, do you think he would now go to the next best vixen?

I don't know, maybe I just need to get to know her. Correct and now push this thoughts deep in the back of your brain…

With a slow and silent feet I made my way to the table of the four. Of course they had all eyes on me, there are not so many bunnies who could walk through this halls. All three watching me with a smile, just Nick seems still to be in his half sleep, half awaken state. I smile and put a finger to my mouth, let's tease him a bit. I went very close to his ear and whispered, so nobody else could hear it.

"I heard there is a handsome fox in this academy, who can get a desperate doe like me a coffee?"

Nick lifted his head up and went with his paws over his eyes, he needed some seconds to face me and holy blueberries he looked terrible.

"Sweet cheese and crackers, what happened to you Nick?"

"Give me some minutes and I'm ready for you carrots."

Stella shouted from across the table to Nick, who seems not so delighted about the loud words in his ears.

"You call her carrots?"

"Yea Stella, I call a bunny carrots, is that so strange?"

"Mmmh, no. I expected just something else."

She gave me a quick smile and went back to her yoghurt, she seems nice but what did she mean with that? I should ask Nick later.

He could finally take a big sip from his tea and not even a half minute later, he was back to his normal self, well almost. As a little welcome gesture he gave me one of his typical smirks.

"So you asked what happened, I got a message from Badger, that Finnick is gone missing. So far nothing strange, he does this from time to time. But he asked me to make some calls and this took a long time and brought me no results. So no sleep, for the fox."

He took another sip from the tea and watched me closely.

"Should I go searching for him, it was also me who found him the last time? I could do this on the next monday?"

He gave me one of his soft and warm smiles, they are rare but I have to say I love them the most.

"That would be nice but no, even I would have my problems finding him and you know who is on our tails, right? So no need for extra drama, he will reappear sooner or later."

"You have strange friends Nick, why couldn't you call him directly?"

"Well Nate, the main reason for this is he is pissed at me and that pretty badly. The last time we saw each other ended with a black eye for me and a half broken nose for him."

Even Stella seems to add her teasing at Nick, well he was a easy target in this state.

"You guys should really learn to talk."

"Really funny Miss Conroy."

It was now the first time that Nick opened his eyes entirely and looked at me from bottom to top, his gaze ended in my face.

"This sunglasses are very familiar to me, do I know them from somewhere?"

Don't play games Nick, you know exactly that this are yours. Do you want to test me? Or do you want tell everyone on the table what is going on?

"Of course you know, I took them this morning out of your closet."

Elliot gave us an dazzled gaze, he tried to understand what was going on here.

"Wait, how can you take something out of Nick's closet?"

"Well,...I...ehm."

Damn Judy, think of a lie...something...But it was not needed, Nick intervened the situation and explained everything. Luckily without the part that we are a couple.

"She lives in my apartment as long as I'm here, that's all and if you would know her apartment, you would better understand why I let her live in mine."

The answer came instantly from all three mammals and I should know that it makes everything weirder.

"What?!"

Nathan and Elliot could relax relatively fast but Stella's jaw was still down and looked at me as if Ursula ordered her to run for two hours straight.

"Stella your mouth is still open and you look like an idiot if you don't close it."

We all turned with our gaze at her and Elliot closed her muzzle with his left paw. This was finally the moment where she snapped out of her daydream and looked really embarrassed at us.

"S-Sorry, I...forget it."

"Anyhow, this is Stella how you should know by now. Over here we have Nathan."

"Hello, Miss Hopps."

I had to smile, you could almost see the troubles he had in his life till now but nevertheless he was a nice mammal and I think his eyes look cool, I never saw something like that. Nick gave me of course the most information about our new friends.

"No need in calling me Miss, you can all say Judy to me."

"Okay and over here we have our hacking beaver Elliot, if you ever have a technical problem you can ask him."

Without hesitation he stretched out his paw to shake mine.

"Nice to meet you Judy. Nick told us a lot about you."

"Oh I hope no bad things, because that is something he would regret, right Nick?"

He grinned at me and I tried to return as sassy as possible. But I could feel how the eyes of the three wandered between me and Nick. But this time it was Nathan and Elliot who looked dazzled and Stella smiled to us.

"Unfortunately you missed your personal stalker."

"My what?"

Nick emptied his cup and made himself ready to go. His smirk was gone. Something bothered him but I think, I will soon know what.

"I'm back in a minute. I think a little bit smalltalk with the pack, wouldn't be too bad for you."

"Don't forget my coffee!"

Nick stood up and went to the entry but not without stretching his paw up and giving me a thumb up to signal me, that he had understand it. I took his place on the table, while I set down my sunglasses and put them in my neckline.

"Did something happened?"

Nathan broke the silence to explain what was the problem. He looked a little bit worried but I didn't know why.

"Trevor, the last mammal in our room, drives Nick crazy or better all of us, he is a hare and all he wants to know is anything about you and with anything I mean really ANYTHING. What you like and don't like, where you from, most liked color and so on and so on and so on. He knows no other topic than your life. I think the word fanatic would be right here."

He made a little pause and exhaled deeply. I felt how blood rushed through my cheeks and I slowly blushed. But it was no pleasant feeling, like when Nick compliments me.

"He talks to no one in the room, except to Nick or he has complains about something…"

His gaze went on to Stella and she knew on what he alluded. She looked sad and embarrassed about the things she had to say. Her voice started quiet but she tried to keep it up. Stella was not a emotional or mental weak mammal and also not used to be vulnerable, you could see that very clearly.

"I… I have often nightmares and scream when that happens. I thought I could keep it under check here but I couldn't."

Her gaze went up to the ceiling and she exhaled deeply. You could see a little blush even through her thick polar fur. This must be tough, exposed while you couldn't do anything against the situation you're in.

"Trevor wants me out of the room because he hates the disturbance I cause and honestly I can understand this. I even wanted to leave but..."

It was again Nathan, who raised his voice and he sounded more than definite about what he was telling us. He seemed to be angry about Stella and I could imagine this was not the first time, they discuss this topic.

"You don't leave the room! The problem will remain, no matter in which room or to which mammals you will go. And we can handle this, if this is something that is bothering him so much, then he is free to go!"

Elliot nodded silently from his side and confirmed what Nathan said to Stella and me. You could see a little smile on her face and feel that her mood lifted, even if it was just a bit. I don't know her but I liked to do more to help her.

"Thanks guys, but you know what happens when he is going to Ursula. Then I'm out and I maybe can't even proceed with the police officer training because the problem will remain."

What? Expelled for something like this? Oh no, that will not happen. Not as long as I have something to say in this situation or I can do anything against it.

I stretched my paw over the table to comfort Stella by laying my paw on hers. And with big smile on my face I looked into her steel blue eyes which looked much too old for her. She seems at first a little bit confused but returned my smile.

"Don't worry, I know Ursula quite good, I would talk her out of such a bad idea. You stay here no matter what."

I wish I would fully understand what was going on her. Nick has to explain this to me and maybe some other things that are going on her. Nathan still tried to comfort her.

"See Stella nothing to fear, if even the bravest bunny of Zootopia says something like this, then you shouldn't worry about a hare with pathological interest in Judy over here."

Stella nodded to Nathan and tried a little smile.

"Thanks Judy, you are exactly the way Nick described you."

"I hope just in a good way."

"Oh believe me, just in the best. By the way, speaking of the devil..."

Nick was coming back to our table and for the sake of the holy blueberry he had his smirk back. A key and a coffee in his right paw and of course a new cup of tea in his left. He stood there and watched us for a moment.

"Did I miss some girl to girl activity on this table?"

We had totally forgotten that I still had my paw on Stella's and her reaction was immediately. She drawed hers back and blushed, this time visible for all. Myself for example, pretty hardened from Nick's sayings, waited just for such a moment.

I turned myself to him, crossed my legs and put on my seductive gaze. And of course he knew what I was up to.

"Maybe we have a date for tonight?"

He grinned and looked deep into my eyes, the rest of the mammals were cut out for a short moment. The only thing remained were his emerald colored eyes, looking down on me. I needed some seconds to snap out of my daydreams.

"Well then you two shouldn't be too loud, because your new room is directly besides the one from Ursula."

Stella turned away, she seems to be not so good with that kind of allusions. Nick started to hold some keys in front of my face and grinned like a little kid. But under the mask, I could see the sorrow in his eyes and the deep eye rings beneath them. He was worring about his old friend but didn't want to admit it

"Here are your keys carrots and we have to go, because I have to fix your door lock."

"You have to fix what, why?"

"I'll explain it later. So come on, you have to teach us in the morning how to beat up the bad guys, without getting hurt."

"Okay, see you later guys."

All three waved at us, Nick gave a quick salute and I also waved a last time back at them, leaving the hall together with Nick. The chaos around us was still as loud as the traffic in Savannah central at noon. In 30 minutes they will all run their first 5 miles this day, I think I will do this to, for the sake of the good old times.

Grinning we walked through the halls of the academy and looking at each other from time to time. The coffee he brought me was as bad as ever in this academy, so I emptied as fast as possible. Bitter and much too strong.

I tried acting as innocent as possible and looked up to him with the biggest eyes I could make for him.

"So... did you missed me?"

"Carrots you have no idea, how much I missed you."

"I just thought because you have new friends now, you could maybe forget me."

He stood still for a moment and turned to me. To bridge the difference in our heights, he kneel down to me and had a very serious but also soft expression on his face.

"Judy, no one I will ever meet in my live, will or could ever replace you from my site. No matter what happens, you are the one constant in my life that will never change, okay? So stop racking your sweet little brain over something like that."

I felt how the heat in my cheeks, returned. The warm rush of blood, that I missed the last days, when I had to be without him. Okay at one time, I was close to this but it was more the fault of Pati who asked me a little bit to private questions about my and Nick's sex life. I never met someone who could talk about really anything without getting embarrassed. If the fox siblings have this in common?

I looked in all different directions on the floor but couldn't see any living mammal, so I took his cheeks between my hands and gave him a passionate kiss on the muzzle. Nick took his free paw and started stroking over my ears, slowly and with the right force. He knew very well how to turn me on but sadly we had at first other things to do. It felt so right and needed after this 4 days, that almost 5 minutes passed till I could separate myself from him. We smile at each other and proceed with our way to my room.

"So number one, what is with Stella, is she okay?"

I could see how his mood dropped suddenly, his mask was back and that was no good sign. He only did this in front of me, when there is some real trouble in the air like when we talked with Void.

"That is something we should discuss in a more private atmosphere, it is no enjoyable topic, that I can tell you."

It was better to leave this topic for now and come later back to it.

"Okay number two, why is my door broken Mr Wilde?"

A little smirk appeared on his face, preparing for his explanations.

"Two other cadets tried to blackmail Elliot, because of his rich parents. They didn't know that he has no contact with them for years. So to threaten him with pain, was no success to them. The option that remained was the door behind them, your door. They pushed him in, locked up and let him think about his decision. Luckily this fox here can pick locks and I locked it so up, that not even the right key will work and our two rooky blackmailers gave up of on this option too."

"What is going on here, when I'm not around?"

"Oh it comes even better, of course I know this two numbskulls. Petty criminals from Zootopia, thiefs I worked together with in the past."

I gave him a scolding look but smiled also a bit, I knew this times were over. Of course he saw my gaze and he seemed to be a little embarrassed, well at least so much how Nicholas P. Wilde can be embarrassed.

"Yeah I know...but here comes the even more interesting part, they have both a long criminal record. Something I don't have because I know…"

His paws pointing now directly at me, he waited for the obvious answer from me.

"...you can't come into the academy with a record. But how did they get a clear record?"

"That is the question and they even know that this will be your room. No one knew except for me that you will be our trainer and even I didn't knew which room was for you. The signs with the names were attached yesterday, suspicious huh?"

Something strange is going on here and we need to keep this in check.

"Because of that I will have a meeting with them in one of the boxrooms later on. I told them, I want to be part of their masterplan. I was hoping you like to come with me, hiding there, have some tea and maybe listen to some compromising statements. You know the classic undercover-gangster date that anyone of us likes."

This stupid fox, even under the worst circumstances he tries to make me smile...well probably this aren't even the worst circumstances we can get in, this is probably just the beginning.

"Oh I would know nothing better than such a date, do we split half or will you pay the costs?"

We were now at my room and Nick started to unlock the door with his lock picking tools.

"Oh honey, if everythings work out, they have to pay the costs."

Half a minute and I heard a quiet click and the door was open, where did he learned something like that? But maybe I didn't want to know everything about his past.

"Why doesn't it surprise me that you can also do something like that?"

He still kneeled but came very close to my face, just inches separating our muzzles. His devilish smile was dancing over his face.

"You wouldn't believe me what this paws could bring you for other pleasures besides opening doors."

I gave him a quick kiss on the muzzle, I would take more time for him but I heard voices from the stairs. And we both didn't want to stop our play at this point.

"Oh I have a small idea from your last demonstration."

I smile at him and go into my room but stop shortly before he could go after me. Not so fast my fox. I stopped him with my paw.

"Sorry Nick, we see each other back on the training field, our friends are coming and by the way I need your body later, down there for… demonstration purposes."

He smiled a last time at me and left with a little bowing to me.

"As you wish mylady."

A small curtsey from me and he went without further jokes.

"Mylord."

It was my first time running in a line with four other mammals, not to be the first, no. Just to talk to the others about this and that and for the sake of smalltalk. Nick was right as he said, that we can also use the 5 mile jogging to have some fun and talk a little bit.

"...okay, okay I got it Nick. You have bad memories of elephants. Let's try the other way around, if any of you could choose to be any other species, which would it be? Elliot?"

"Why should I be another mammal Nathan? I'm quite okay with what I am."

"I don't know, maybe you want to be big and strong, as a change to your normal existent."

"Yeah great and for that I become also dumb as shit? No thanks."

"Maybe it is sometimes better, not to be so smart?"

"Of course it is! Ignorance is a blessing. But besides of that I wouldn't choose it, I still like to understand what is going on around me. To be stupid means to have the same miserable live like everyone else but with the huge difference that you can't see it. At least I want to see my problems and have the opportunity to solve it."

One thing was sure, Nick found an interesting bunch of characters in his near but maybe it is just typical for him to attract the same type of crazy mammals. Maybe this even the reason why we two met but on the other hand we have not so much in common.

"Fine, Elliot doesn't want to participate in this little game. What is with you two, Nick and Judy? Any other species that you want to be?"

Without a warning, Nick and I spoke and of course it was one of those synchronized things that happened sometimes to us, which mostly happens just to twins.

"Fox." - "Bunny."

There was nothing that remained, just silence and an almost silent chuckle from Stella. She seems to know something or at least suspect that there is more between Nick and me.

"Well, that is...interesting? And why?"

Nick grinned and watched me with his seductive eyes. Oh I know what you would like to do now, believe me I have the same thing in my mind. He didn't answered so I took my time to elaborate my choice.

"Don't worry Nick I just choose it for the fluffy tail and the red fur, not that you come to any freaky conclusions."

His grin seems to grow with every second, you planned something you dumb fox...

"To bad, I thought about the rumors that are going around about bunnies, you know very sexual active and stamina that let you do everything you want for days. I wouldn't mind switching with such a little fluff ball, if only half of the stories are true. Maybe you can enlighten me about some of the stories later, carrots."

My cheeks instantly turned red and I swear to the holy blueberry, you will pay for this Nicholas Wilde. He looked at me and knew that I was angry but he just kept grinning. Stella turned her head away as fast as she could, of course. Elliot and Nathan both chuckle from Nicks comment.

No one continued with the talk, so I took the whole thing in my paw because we still had two participants left.

"Okay Stella, what would you choose?"

"To be a tiger would be nice, you have no one to fear, nice fur and I bet in a pub brawl, you can hit pretty hard."

"Okay...that was something I hadn't expected but okay. And you Nathan? Anything you wanna be?"

"So stupid and stereotypical it sounds but I also would choose to be a bunny."

I had to chuckle a little bit but was uncertain what he wanted to say. Well can't be worse than that what Nick said. I scowled at Nick, just to see that he still grinned at me and just waited for my next reply. You knew it is stupid and childish but the only thing that come to my mind in this moment, was to stick my tongue out to him and ignore him from this moment on.

"Why stereotypical?"

"Well I just thought bunnies have mostly big families and were born with so many brothers and sisters, that they are never alone. Yeah I know it's stupid and typical, especially for an orphan like my, having a family with so much members must be great. How big is your family Judy?"

A smile appeared on my face, I had never heard that someone wants such a big family or even consider something like that, well at least outside of a bunny family. I looked up to Nick who still jogged on my right site, one day he and I will also have such a conversation and we will have to decide how to proceed. Kids... something I can't even imagine for myself at the moment. Well maybe we will make it to this point…

"Judy?"

"Yes? Sorry I was daydreaming...we are 278 bunnies in total."

All three stopped jogging and stood there thinking about the number I gave them and looking at each other, trying to find out if this was just a joke or the truth. They needed some moments but started with the jogging after the dazzling gaze vanished from their faces and what must be the most motivating factor, Ursula shouted over the field, that they should move their lazy asses or they can run for the rest of the day.

"Well carrots, it is every time nice to see the reaction from mammals about your family."

"Don't you carrots me! I'm still angry of you! You embarrassed massively in front of the others and you know that!"

"Yeah, maybe a little."

"And you also know, that you will pay for that, right?"

"Uhhh, you mean later that night in your room, with the skills I told you about?"

Now was my time to grin and that felt so good because I knew what I would witness in a minute - a scared fox.

"No, in 5 minutes during the self defense course, I need you as a test dummy for the other students."

And with this words, I could see how fear was rising in him. I let him stew a little and run my last round faster and also for myself to see that I could finish this run as the first of our group, like everyone else I need my little moments of self approval.

Nick was now half a round behind me and I could see that he let his head hanging, he gave up because he knew he couldn't escape me. And even if, the 'punishment' for my fox would be even greater and more extravagant when he tried. Serves him right, I know the real reason why he wants to be a bunny and he didn't need to tell those bunny sex stories. Yes some of them are true but that is not the point.

During my run, I recognize how a snow white hare is watching me and I didn't mean a quick look and then I let my gaze wander around the scenery. No I'm talking about staring at someone the whole time and well this must be Trevor, the hare Nick told me about. I could still punch him, when he comes to close… but only if.

* * *

All of us standing now in the middle of the grasfield, which was in surrounded by the running field. Ursula and myself stood in front of the cadets, the sun was friendly today and shined maybe for a last time this year, warm and bright down on us. You could almost enjoy the day, there wasn't so much training to do.

"Okay cadets listen!"

Not more than 3 seconds and all mammals stood in row to wait for more commands from Ursula.

"This here is Officer Hopps, the most of you should know her because of the Nighthowler case, she cracked together with Mr Wilde over there."

She raised her huge bear paw and pointed at Nick. He of course had to put in his two cents. As if he could do anything against it, it is almost a physical reaction of your body, like blinking when you get something in your eye and you try to get it out.

"Too much of the honor Chief instructor, you know it was a hard piece of work but hey what is the safety of Zootopia against the life of one fox."

Nick, sometimes it isn't easy to love you and your attitudes… but besides this thought, also a small chuckle was going through me.

"She is an instructor like me and will teach you the basics of self defense, you will respect her and I give all of you a good advice, don't take her lightly. I would say she is one of 3, of the deadliest mammals on the campus, without a weapon of course."

A short view over the crowd and I could hear the giggling and chuckling from every site. Well not exactly every site, Nick and the pack stood there and waited for everyone to end their little funtime.

"Cadets, I wish you a lot of fun with Miss Hopps."

Ursula nodded a last time to me and left slowly the place. Most of the mammals stood there with a big smile in their faces, let's see how long that will last. Especially for the bigger ones. So Judy now come one, you can do that, you were trained for this.

"Alright cadets, I think a further introduction is not needed. Like Ursula said, I will teach you the concepts of self defense, dodging and quick response attacks. No punching or attacking, that will be the doing of Mr Dubrow in 2 weeks. The training with the guns will start in october after you had the theoretic part of using and maintaining it. Any questions?"

A huge panther was holding his paw up in the air and tried to get my attention, well if his paw wasn't enough, he had still this dirty smiling on his face. I knew who he was, Anthony Rodriguez, I was warned about him.

"Yes?"

"And when did we, the bigger mammals get a serious instructor for our training?"

The whole crowd of big mammals was shouting in laughter and couldn't stop. Nick looked with a helping gaze in my direction but I just nodded slightly and held one of my fingers up to Mr Rodriguez.

"First strike Mr Rodriguez."

"Uhh, do I really have to be frighten by bunny strikes, seriously? What will happen by number two?"

"First, that is your choice Mr Rodriguez, not mine. And the second strike is a trainings fight against me, no rules..."

They didn't take me seriously, not even for one moment. He still chuckled from what I said to him. Oh believe me I just wait for strike number two to happen.

"Okay, everyone calm down a bit. Mr Wilde will be the test subject for the first trainings sessions. Nick?"

Nick slowly detached himself from the rest of the group and walked straight up to me. I could clearly see how he tried to maintain his mask.

"I'm on my way."

As soon as he was in the near I tried to whisper to him.

"Don't worry I won't be to rough to you."

"I hope that carrots."

I waited till the attention of most of the surrounding mammals was on me.

"Okay Mr Wilde will attack me now with his right fist. Remember this is just for demonstration purposes, you can dodge that move but also use it against your enemy but just if your timing is right. Nick?"

"Yep, ready."

"Good, straight right blow at me."

Nick hesitates a little moment but decides to punch in my direction, I can see that he is holding back. With little effort, I can take his fist and snap it back onto his neck, at the same time I took my foot and push his leg back, he lost contact to the ground. Nick was falling and a short groaning showed us that he didn't liked it, well who would liked something like this? With a small swung I was on his back and holding him to the ground, one of my knees directly on his spine.

The chuckling from before died, everybody looked amazed and a little bit shocked at the fox, who was laying there unable to perform any kind of resistance. All in all it took not more than 5 seconds, for this little demonstration. Well not exactly everybody. Quietly I whisper to my fox.

"Thanks Nick, we are quit now."

"Good, I will do something like that never again…"

"We both know, that this is not true."

My smile brought him to chuckle and slowly he nodded to me. We both knew that nobody could change him and his attitudes.

I released him from this painful position and tried to smile as soothing as possible at him. With a little cluttering and trimming he was back to his old self, without hesitation he grinned at the audience and took a little bow.

And then I heard it, Rodriguez was laughing and shouting from the last row to Nick. He didn't get the message, well I can also be a different bunny.

"Wilde what was that? Beaten by a bunny? Hilarious! How can somebody like you be so impotent of fighting against a cute little bunny! One arm, I wouldn't need more than one arm to beat her."

Nick's grin was now wider than ever, his old concept of never let anyone see that they got to you, worked as fine as ever.

"Well Tony, I can call you Tony right? You have in this moment dug your own grave, buddy."

"What are you talking about Wilde?"

"RODRIGUEZ!"

A sudden silence has fallen over the trainings area. All heads slowly turned to me and even Anthony was looking in my direction. He looked a little daunted but in my opinion, not enough. I was more than enraged, no respect for others, talking back and the point that hurt my personally, going against my fox. I was the only one who is allowed to discipline my fox for his bad and stupid behaviour but not some jerk who never had the guts to be anything else than the son of somebody.

"Strike two and that means trainings fight against me. You have two minutes to come here in the front or you instantly get strike three."

He still seems very cocky

"And what happen when I will not fight against you?"

"You will get expelled from this school and I don't think your dad will like that, especially not after he called me and we both talked about you for a long time."

"You can't do…"

"I can and I will do that. Or will you also imply that I'm lying?"

"No ma'am."

"Good then get your butt right here or are you afraid of a bunny?"

His walk was slow but he seems to have no sign of fear. I hate such guys mocking others and pretending to be the best of the best, without ever doing anything. The only fact that installed him here, was that his father lead the rainforest district police department.

Finally he took the last step and stood in front of me. He looked down and I could already feel his superior feelings of a predator who hunts a little bunny with ease but not this time buddy.

"Ma'am I really don't want to hurt you."

"Don't worry I know what I do, you start and don't think about it, there are no rules."

He get himself in something that could remind you of an attack position but looked more like what a rookie would do.

Without warning or a starting sign, he tried to grab after me but failed tremendously because I was already through his legs, a kick from me against the back of his knee, ended in a cruel squeal from him. He tried not to fall on his knees but it was all much too late. A kick against the backside of his head and he was going completely down. My foot on his neck and my thumb on his temples, a vital and important pressure point. Anthony had no longer any option to move, without getting hurt very badly. In his eyes you could see now pure terror and the minimal reflex of escape, but this will not happen.

I looked for a moment around me, all eyes are wide open and some mammals even hold their paws in front of their muzzles. All except for Nick, who is standing there nodding in my direction and grinning like a proud boyfriend, who saw that his girlfriend won a beauty pageant. Well not this girlfriend here.

"Stand up. And get yourself ready for the next round."

With a slow pace he came back to his feet, shivering like a little kid which fell into ice cold water.

"P-please Miss Hopps, I'm sorry. Can't w-we just call it off?"

"No, we can't just call it off. Do you think a criminal will just call it off, when he stands in front of you? Or when he threatens other mammals, who need your help? You can't just call things off, this is real live not some game you can pause and resume at any time. And if you are not strong enough, then go home. But if you're willing to fight, than stand up and try again."

It took him some time but he stood there ready to fight, shivering but ready. Everyone went silent, they wanted to know what will happen next.

"Go."

Again he tried to grab me from above and again he was much to slow, to bring me into any real danger. This time I wanted to make it quick and take on his left leg on which his whole body weight laid. A little push and he was falling and slamming hard with his jaw on the ground. Like before I step on his neck with my right foot and my thumb on a pressure point on his spine. He was done, the only thing I could hear was a little wimmering.

Enough Judy, he learned his lesson.

"All of you listen and especially you Anthony. You will never win with just an advantage in mass and heights, as soon as you are standing in front of a mammal with experience, this all means nothing. Like you saw, even a bunny can take down a panther or more."

All of them nodded in unity to the words I told them. But I was not completly done with Anthony, his father had warned my about him.

"Now to you Anthony,I hate it when mammals put themselves above others and think they are superior just because they are bigger, stronger or something else. What I miss in strength, heights and weight, I compensate with speed, technic, experience and knowledge."

I leaned myself nearer to his ears because the last words were just for him.

"Your father gave me the allowance to go with you the full 100 yards, if you don't want to cooperate. Believe me, that is nothing you want. So if I ever see you harassing or offending any other mammal on this campus, I will come for you and hunt you to hell and back if it is necessary. Do you understand me?"

He couldn't move his body but I could see how he was nodding his head in fear. I smiled down at him and saw that he meant what he said.

"Good. Now everybody listen, we will build groups to 2 or 3 mammals. Everybody will need a partner or two, to change and practice the movements we will learn now."

Anthony stood up and went back to his buddy. I could still see the trembling in his body, talking to his friend. His dad was right, he is not a bad mammal, he just thought a bit much with his muscles and not enough with his brain. I walked over to the pack where everybody besides of Nick looked a little bit frightened.

"Whiskers I have an new nickname for you."

"Okay, let's hear."

"From this day on you are for me the 'Bunny of Caerbannog'."

"The what of where?"

"Ahh damned, we didn't saw the movie, we have to repeat that. Than you will understand and hopefully laugh about this joke."

"I'm not so sure if I will find that funny."

"Oh believe me you will."


	9. First Contact

9\. First Contact

" _You know my name, but not my stories_ _._ " _\- Unknown_

 **Nick**

The day was almost over and most of the other mammals in the academy, started now their daily routine of showering, learning and using some free time for themselves. I tried to sit straight but there was still this little pain, where Judy put her knee this morning in the training, I could strangle her if I wouldn't love her so much. Ah forget it, as if I could do her any harm. The sun was already setting on the horizon and making itself ready for its second half of the planet. And again I was watching on my phone, 7:32 pm, still some time till the meeting and I was sitting at the table of our little room and waited alone for Judy to return from her conference with the other instructors.

I tried to read in some of the police officer training books but most of it was pretty obvious like how to interrogate witnesses with easy questions, paws away from a crime scene when the CSI guys are not through and remember the code numbers for the radio communication. The books for the detective training were a complete different league of information, quite useful and even with things I didn't know. There was also a part about psychological techniques that you could use during an interrogation. And I was not talking about the good-cop-bad-cop talk that you see in tv, the first was a nine step plan to fulfill the task but it has it's limits when it comes to the questioning of innocent mammals and children. In this cases it could lead to false confessions. On the other hand we still had the PEACE model but this would go to deep into something you wouldn't want to know.

Two short knocks could be heard at the door and I know it could only be one mammal.

"You can come in whiskers."

I can hear a silent giggle in front of the door and saw how Judy slowly put her cute little head through the gap at the entrance. I couldn't help myself but to smile over this sight, a little bunny in a small ZPD trainings short and top. And I would also lie when I would say that this view wouldn't please me.

"How do you know it was me?"

She walked in with both of her arms on the back and looked around as if she was visiting a museum but in reality there was nothing to see. Some beds, a table, a guitar on my bed and a stupid smiling fox on the table with some books in front of him.

"You are the only mammal I know, who has the manners in this academy to knock before she enters."

"Really, I bet there must also be someone else? So what are you doing?"

"Reading the detective books because the officer books were to boring but we can go to our 'meeting' in a couple of minutes."

"So which is your bed?"

I pointed to the higher one, which was directly behind the door. And with two little jumps she was on it and made herself comfortable. I could see one of her legs swinging, which she let hanging over the other.

After some time I could hear how she took my guitar and tried to get a decent tone out of it but it didn't work so good. I would kill anyone who touches this old guitar without my permission but with Judy it's different. She would never break anything on it because she knows how important it is to me.

"How long do you play guitar?"

"14 years and with that almost half of my live. Why do you ask?"

You could hear her soft paws stroking over the surface of the instrument.

"You can almost feel the past of this instrument and the stories it witnessed with you. It is almost like an old friend, you take with you wherever you go. If this guitar could speak, what would it tells us?"

She smiled down at me and I couldn't do anything else but to repay her kindness and love with the same gesture. If you would know what this guitar had all witnessed till now.

"Pretty good conclusion junior detective, say do you want some company up there, I think you can remember the skills I have with my paws."

I could hear another of her cute little giggles, that always made me feel better and let me forget for a moment the troubles.

"Maybe later slick. By the way someone is coming."

She and her great hearing sense, well she had her ears and I had my nose, another thing that made us great as partners.

"Must be Stella and Trevor. Nathan and Elliot are still working on something."

"Something? Sounds like a plan from you. Nick what are you contriving?"

I could just grin at her because everything else would destroy the surprise, we wanted to use the flat roof, on which you could look over the surrounding area, as a meeting point but unluckily there was an alarm detector in our way. But this motivated Elliot just more to find a solution and Nathan said he would stay behind him and watched out for upcoming instructors.

"You will see it carrots, but for now be ready for our last roommate."

"He was the one you warned me about, right?"

"Yes, your personal stalker and the hare that is complaining about everything, I would strangle him, if this wouldn't put me in jail and away from you."

Judy was thinking about the things I told her, you could see it from her face and the way she thumbed with her right feet on the bed. I also bet that her cute little nose was twitching right now.

"He still gives Stella no peace, right?"

"No, not the slightest."

She smiled her teasing smile down at me and there it was again, one of the many reason I love her more than anything else in the world, because she couldn't let anyone down that is in need of help. And Stella was, even if she wouldn't admit it.

"I bet I can change Trevors mind, I mean if he really is so fanatic about me..."

"Okay, then I bet against it, he is much to selfish to be manipulated, even by a sweet little doe like you are."

Judy smiled about the compliment but also thought about the bet for a moment. I could see the eagerness in her eyes to beat me in my own best discipline.

"Deal and I can demand from you anything I want, if I win?"

"Bun-bun you can demand anything from me. Do you really think I wouldn't do anything for you?"

Judy smiled and brought herself into a tailored seat position and waited for the heated battle to arrive and one thing was sure, this was no longer the quiet and embarrassed Stella from this morning. The door flew with big force against my bed and I could see that Judy was little bit shocked about the upcoming chaos. Trevor stormed in the room but didn't recognized that the amount of mammals in here had risen. As soon as he reached his bed, he turned around and started again his arguing with Stella, who stand in the door frame and waited for the next wave of annoying words.

"I told you, just leave and go back to the Darlia sisters!"

"And I told you yesterday that this is not possible, accept it. Besides everyone else in this room, doesn't want me to leave. So why should I?"

Stella stood now in the middle of the room both arms crossed in front of her chest and watched the whole room and who was there.

"Aren't you two agree with me?"

"Absolutely Miss Conroy but maybe can Miss Hopps clear up this situation and enlighten Mister Smith a little bit."

Trevor looked dazzled around himself, not knowing what he was searching for. Without hesitation Judy jumped down from my bed and landed angel like on her two feets. He had finally lost his voice and I could see how confused this little arrogant hare was. I didn't need to explain, that I hate him, or? The super hare that does everything to impress the crowd and show off his skills, yeah I knew I was nothing better but at least I tried to entertain the mammals around me. And yes also Judy was similar but she did this just for the sake of her aime. He didn't, because he had no aime he tried to achieve. He had just himself but that he let anybody know. And I knew he was crazy about Judy but that made me just a little bit jealous because I knew the show I was going to witness would not be easy for me. Maybe it was a mistake. One thing was sure for me, he wanted Judy and he wanted her really badly but that would not happen. Never.

Judy stretched out her paws and crossed them behind her back and gave him the most seducing smile, I saw in a long time on her, with her big purple eyes almost sparkling a little bit or maybe they really did? She started to speak and I would lie, if I tell you that the way she did this wouldn't turn me on a little bit. Almost whispering, her voice was like sugar that would break every males mammals heart. She came close to him, very close and for my feelings a little bit to close.

"You are Trevor, correct?"

"T-trevor Smith, y-yees. I-it's an honor to meet you Miss Hopps."

"Why so formell Trevor, we are under friends here. No need to be so uptight."

"Mhmm."

He truly lost his lost words, no complains - nothing. The mammal who complains about everything was quiet and this because of a little grey doe with sparkling eyes. He couldn't even answer straight.

"You seem to me like a good mammal Trevor? Are you?"

"I-i try my best."

Judy came even closer to Trevor, muzzles now just inches away from each other. Okay sweetheart, you can now stop. If this went on, I needed to intervene this whole operation and yes I was sure now this was a bad idea.

"And a good mammal always looks out, for those in need, right?"

"Y-yes, t-that's why I want to become a c-cop."

Stella looked like she was hit by a baseball bat and switched with her gaze between me and Judy, trying to figure out what was going on here. And my gloomy face didn't seem to clear everything up or maybe made it even worse. Judy had now one of her paws behind her back and draw with the other little circles on the shirt of Trevor.

"So my friend Stella over here has some sleeping problems but I think you know that already."

"Y-yes."

Okay stop Judy, you will not biting your underlip, no,no,...too late. Okay Nick that was the stupidest bet I ever agreed to. I could also send her into a cage with a lion, that got a shot of nighthowler serum on his muzzle.

"And I think a good hearted mammal like you, would try to help a lady or at least give her the room and time she needs, for herself. Wouldn't you agree Trevor?"

"Yes Ma'am."

Judy stopped the drawing on his shirt and went with her paw up to his right cheek. Stella and I waited in terror, that more would happen but she just stayed in her role, till the moment she broke it by patting him on his cheeks very rough. Trevor even seems to fall from his love drunk shock in another kind of shock. In an instant the angel disappeared and all that was left was the instructor from this morning and we all just remember to good what happened to Anthony.

"Good, because if you will not stop teasing her, then I have to windup other sides. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes, yes totally. It will be quiet from here on. Excuse me Miss Hopps but I have to go showering now."

And without losing further words, he took the things ne needed for the shower and left the room. I bet this will be an ice cold shower today for him, well I would need one if Judy would tease me this much but let me stand in the rain without any further action. It was Stella who broke the silence and tried to understand what that all was.

"What in the name of the holy mammal is going on here?"

Judy smiled at Stella but turned rather quickly to me. She saw that I was not amused about all of this but that made her smile even bigger.

"A bet and I won it. So Nick you owe me one and Stella should Trevor be again,... well like Trevor, just tell me and I think I can solve the problem."

"Wait that was a bet? Nick who on earth would bet with his own girlfriend, that she should try to seduce another mammal? Are you out of your mind?"

As soon as the words were out, Stella looked at us as if she would regret everything she said. And I knew there will be some explanations needed to soothe my little bun-bun. Judy looked dazzled at me and seemed for a minute not to know what to feel.

"Nick, why did Stella knows about us?"

But it was Stella who answered for me and in the end, it was the right decision.

"Listen Judy, it is nothing bad that I know it, I will tell nobody else. It is just Nick and the boys found something out about me and I didn't trusted them because after what the other vixen told me and how they were against me, I thought I could trust nobody in this town. But Nick traded this information just with me, so that I can see that there are different mammals in this town, mammals that try to help other and not just have prejudices against those who think different because they are different themselves."

Judy had a slight blush on her face but she was eager to hear more from Stella.

"So, you don't think we are strange?"

"Oh believe me, I think you two are the two most strangest mammals I ever met in my live but in that way it makes you the perfect couple. I saw some in my life that fit together but no one did as good as you. And in the end, who in this room isn't a little bit strange, right?"

Judy smiled over both ears and went without further words to Stella, hugging her tightly. The white vixen doesn't seems to be too comfortable with the hug but smiled slightly.

"Thanks Stella."

"Your welcome Judy."

I looked a last time on my phone and draw my attention back to my little bunny, which looked at me with a mix of confusion, love and joy.

"Time for our date?"

"Yep, time for it. Stella we have to let you alone for some time, because we two lovebirds have to take care of something."

She seemed to understand it wrong and tried to end this conversation as quickly as possible.

"Oh yeah, yeah. You two, of course. I mean just go and...ehh have fun. I will...ehm read."

She sat down and pretended to read one of the books which laid on the table but I knew she was just staring at the sites waiting for us to leave. Judy and I left the room and made our way to the meeting point with the two brothers, which was a box room in the unused part of the academy.

Out of the room and some meters away from the last mammal. I took Judy by her hips and brought her into her room which was just some feet away. The look must be great, to see a fox holding a bunny up in the air like a valuable statue he didn't want to damage. Well this was not so far from the truth.

"Nick what are you doing? That tickles. Hahaha stop i-it."

Inside her room, I pushed her against the wall and let her sit on my arms so that we are muzzle to muzzle. And my gaze must be really serious because Judy looked very dazzled at me, as if someone was shoot that we both know. She took her paw and caressed my left cheek, it doesn't needed much to bring me down, just her scent and her soft touch, that I needed to feel on my fur.

"Is everything okay Nick, if it's because of Stella, I'm not mad, okay?"

I couldn't speak, I just stand there hugging the most valuable being I had and will have in my whole live. I also couldn't look into her eyes, it was too much for the moment. And the only thing I was able to, was to whisper in her ear.

"Please, never do something like you did to Trevor ever again. It was a bad idea and this stupid fox should have never agreed to it."

Judy looked at me in shock and it was by now that she saw that this was no joke from me, I was hurt and to be honest I couldn't tell you why. It just felt wrong, so wrong to see Judy with him and what she did, played or not, it hurt me. But why? I as an ex conman, I shouldn't be touched by something like this...

"I'm not jealous if you think that, it almost broke my heart and I never thought that something like this could happen. That a little bunny could come and take me by surprise, without any resistance. But there you are. And to see you with him, it…, it."

A big smile from my bunny appeared in front of me and I could feel how the bad feelings slowly disappeared into the back of my head, where they waited for another moment of doubts and what ifs. But before I started to think straight, her two paws took me by my collar and guided my to her muzzle to gave me a long and passionate kiss.

"I promise to you Nicholas Wilde, that I will never do anything like this again..."

Her teasing smile was dancing over her face and she looked with her big amethyst like eyes deep into mine, while she bite her underlip. Never could be anything better than being together with her, never.

"...and this lips and this bunny's body will always be yours and for nobody else."

"And if someone be so dumb and try to steal you from me, I would chase him till the end of the world, come hell or high water. I would only rest if I knew that you were safe."

Slowly we closed our eyes and leaned our foreheads at each other, her scent was now all around me and I couldn't get enough of this. Better than to lie in a

field of flowers in the summer. The same idea seems to cross our minds and we started almost at the same time to repeat the first two sentences of the vow that bind us together, forever.

"You are mine,

And I'm yours."

"I love you Judy..." - "...And I love you Nick."

And like many times before and after, we sealed our romantic contract with a kiss, which I hoped would never end.

"I hate to break our little cuddle time but unfortunately we have a case to follow Mr Wilde…"

"Do we…?"

I buried my muzzle deeper in her neck and could hear an almost silent moan, that grew louder and louder. The point of no return for Judy was almost reached. I felt how her breathing goes faster and faster, she already closed her eyes and grabbed my chest fur. It is partly absurd how easy you can stimulate...

But like Judy I couldn't take it anymore and I stripped off her shirt, shortly followed by her shorts. With two quick steps I was in front of her bed and laid her softly down.

"Nick we have to…"

"I know, give me 15 minutes. You won't regret it."

She smiled seductively at me, as she laid there naked in all her beauty. Gosh, I would kill to have that view for the rest of my live.

"Oh I know that I won't regret it…"

We laid on our backs panting like crazy, both exhausted from the romantic activity just minutes ago, staring at the ceiling and waiting for one of us to stand up. But neither Judy nor I wanted to leave her room, we just wanted to lay here paw in paw and from time to time smiling at each other, like love drunk teenagers.

"Do we really have to do this crime fighting thing, carrots? I mean sex with you the whole day seems like an even better idea."

She giggled shyly and stood finally but slowly up from her bed, leaving my site in the direction of her small bathroom.

"Maybe, we see how things work out. But we keep it in mind as a fallback plan."

I tried to relax my eyes for a short moment but as soon as I heard the shower and Judy humming to an song I played for her some days ago in the park, I jumped from the bed and run to the shower, hoping I get her out of there before she started. And luckily the water didn't had the right temperature for her, so I had enough time to extracte her from the shower and sat her on the edge of the sink, well of course just after some protest from her. You should see her and her slightly mad face, oh geez I even love that at her.

"Nick! I smell like fox. And as much I like that, I need to shower!"

I grin at her and try to hold in my internal Foxy McSmarty Pants. But it didn't work as aspected.

"So my little detective bunny, what for mammals will we meet in the box room?"

"Wolves but… oh, okay I get. But what had you done, if we hadn't sex?"

"Who said that this wasn't part of my plan? Just kidding, I would have marked you with my scent, obviously. They are maybe just as sharp as a marble but their nose is working and they can add one to one. So time to dress my little princess."

Another of her sweet giggles and she went into her bedroom to collect her clothes. I followed her and did the same. A last time looking on my phone 8:17, it gets time. But hopefully we will be there before our dumb-dumbs appear. Without anymore hesitation we left her room and went to the meeting point, to our big luck we didn't met anyone on the floor.

"Judy, I want to warn you in advance, nothing what I will say in there is what I really mean. And it can be that you hear things about my past that you don't know but no matter what I will explain it later to you."

"I know that, my dumb fox. Do you want to avoid situation, like the one with Trevor?"

"Mmh, maybe I'm not sure myself. I just thought it would be good to mention it and to the thing with him, I don't know but it felt so real. And I'm honest, I never thought you could pull off something like that, I mean playing prey chased by predator okay, but this? Sorry if I underestimated you."

I thought she would be angry but she kept smiling. Maybe I didn't know everything about this little doe till now but that just leaves room for future improvements.

"Well slick, ten years of acting class in school seems not so wasted anymore?"

"Really? I bet your dad, still has some of the tapes from your performances…"

"How do you want to know that?"

Judy looked a little bit puzzled at me and tried to figure out if I know something or if this was just a good guess.

"Oh come on, every proud father would do something like that and I can't imagine yours is any different."

"Yeah...maybe."

"Hah, I knew it! Oh I will have a good time, getting my paws on those tapes."

She had her smile back and something told me, that their was another plan in her little head, that would come out very soon.

"If you are so eager to meet them...well we can visit them this weekend? What do you say?"

"You planned that, right? Or better that's why you took on that bet. Sneaky little bunny, hustling a poor little fox like me into something like this."

Judy blushed and waved with her paw in the air, to frighten away my thoughts. But she couldn't hustle me, well at least this time.

"Just a quick assumption, you don't have to do…"

"It would be an honor to meet your family whiskers."

She smiled over both ears and gave me a light punch on my left arm and I must say this little bunny has more strength than most wolves, geez.

"I know I could count on you, slick. Alright, then we two will make an overnight stay in Bunny Burrow this weekend. Oh holy blueberry, I hope they will welcome and accept us like your family."

"Don't worry the daughter is fallen for me, I think her siblings and parents shouldn't be a too big problem. You know, this reminds all of dumb fox who tried to hustle a little bunny into visiting him in the academy but I know you learn a lot from me."

We walked the last steps to our meeting point and a last look showed that there was no one around.A quick look into the room showed me that the two brothers are still not in the near. I let Judy at first into the room and sneak into it right behind her. A lot of laundry and other stuff laid around in the small room, mostly organized in shelves with no concrete order. All in all I would say the room was not bigger than 5 * 2,5 meter with the mentioned shelves on all sides and a little window at the smaller end of the room. In front of the window stands a laundry wagon, filled with the dirty leftovers of the last cadets.

"I think I found my hideout, good thing that I don't have such a good nose as you Nick."

"You have no idea carrots, I'm more than happy that we had our little intimate cuddle time before you decided to stay in the laundry of over 30 sweating and smelling mammals, that could have killed the mood rather quickly."

She poked her tongue out and started climbing into the wagon but I know that her smile was not completely gone. Not long and her bunny ears disappeared into the white of the sheets, where she found an almost comfortable place to stay.

"How are they? I mean the two "

"Wow a talking laundry wagon, that is something I don't see every day."

"Haha Mister Wilde, stop the joking and start your brain to work or is the blood still somewhere else?"

I loved this little teasing battles between me and her. But I thought I should stop by now or maybe a last one...yes a last one can't be bad.

"Honey the blood of this fox can be wherever you want it to be, as long as it stays inside or you need a blood transfusion."

I could hear a muffled giggle from her and waited for the next smart reply but there was none. It also needed some time till she answered me, the answer was nice but nothing I expected.

"I love you Nick."

"Oh, how comes the sudden affirmation of love, my dear?"

Another calm turned into the small room but like ever it was not awkward. We two were so close, as if something could be really awkward between us. Frighten maybe or a little bit of embarrassment from her site but it was never a point in our relationship that I wished to be somewhere else.

"Don't get me wrong I'm more than happy that you stick with me and not saw what lays ahead of us and turned me away. But the most mammals would have leave me alone by now and tried to save their own fur but you didn't. Why Nick?"

"Oh Judy, I told you that I will stay with you till the end, didn't I?"

"Yes, but…"

"No buts, I love you Judy and that's all that matters. And before you ask, no nothing will change that."

"Thanks Nick."

"You are welcome whiskers. So and to our little wannabe mobsters, they are brothers obviously and traded in the past hot products to me which I sold to higher prices to other mammals, mostly other mobsters. To clear a little bit of my past to you, under the object they sold my was also a 'rug'."

"Oh no, you mean…"

"Yes, the 'rug'."

"I trusted them and paid my price for that. When you have in the future anything to do with other mobsters, black market guys or fences never trust anyone, not one bit and double check everything you buy from them."

"Why should I buy something from the black market?"

"I know you like to stick to the rules carrots but sometimes we will have to go unconventional ways. Because the bad guys will also not play to the rules. And if your life is on the line, be sure that I will use everything I have to save you no matter what it costs me or what I have to do."

"Nick, that is nice but…"

"No buts now whiskers, they are coming."

And within seconds the soft and loving Nick turned into the hustler, as if I was some monster like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hide. It was strange to wear this mask again, it felt like ages ago when I last did this but at least this time it is for something good.

"Look, how is coming there, the Meyer Brothers. How are you doing?"

The two brothers entered the room without further analysis of their surroundings and stared directly at me how I stood there leaning against the laundry wagon smirking at them

"What do you want Wilde?"

"Just a talk between old partners, is this something so bad?"

"Partners? If I remember correctly you forgotten to pay us the last time we made a deal or Wilde? And not to forget the workload you gave us on monday."

"And if I remember correctly, you two sold me a rug, that almost get me killed. I would say we are even and monday doesn't count, you locked Elliot into Judy's room, which wasn't also the nicest thing you ever did."

The atmosphere in here was not the best and I think even Judy had recognize that by now. Come on Nick you can do better, you know what's at stake.

"Okay, Okay forget it guys. The past is done and I think we should let those old stories buried in the past and concentrate on future plans. So what have you two planned for the ZPD? Insider trading, selling drugs from the evidence chamber or do you really want to become cops? I mean you two can tell me."

They both just started to grin at me but didn't say anything. Something was definitely strange here, they never had plans that were further in the future than the next thing to steal and something like becoming officers seems a little bit too big for them.

"There will be no more deals between us Wilde. This times are over."

"And why that Bill?"

"Because of you and your stupid law, I told that you will be one day in a dead end because of this."

I had a bad feeling about that and could imagine in which direction this whole conversation would lead but I played cool and kept my smug grin.

"Bill, shut up. You know we are not allowed to talk about this, especially not to him."

"Oh come on Jim, he is a criminal like us, who will believe him, heh? And besides what will he do? Tell the bunny, buhuhu I'm scared to death about this."

"You two know what she did this morning to Anthony, do you think that was luck?"

"Wilde, your bunny cop is maybe not the typical rabbit from the countryside but even she can't dodge a bullet or did I miss this in the lesson today?"

"What do you want to say with that Jim?"

"What I want to say is, that you two should keep an eye on your surroundings because of accidents that could happen."

"Oh please, as if you two could hurt a mammal."

"You know what Wilde, I have enough of this self-important talk from you. Every time you act like no one could do you anything but those times are over. We are now members of the company and as soon as we are important enough, we will get your name on the list of mammal, who should get a beating and let's see how long your stupid grin will last when you jaw is broken to pieces."

"Bill you fucking idiot! What did I told you? No big talk to Wilde and what did you do? Oh for fucks sake, you stupid moron!"

As I thought. Jim, the thinking part of the duo and the one you want to talk with when things get crazy, was more than pissed. Normally, Bill would never act against his brother but it seems like the power he got was a bit too much for him to handle.

"You two know what it means to be part of this organisation? Or?"

"What's your point Wilde?"

"My Point is that every mistake, that you two make brings you one step closer to death. You can not refuse a task, you can only obey and there is no quitting. I mean you know the rumors."

Bill's face turned into pure shock, as if he didn't know what awaited them. Jim on the other hand seems exactly to know what it means to be part of this deal.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Come on brother, as if you didn't know the things they tell about the company."

"Yes rumors but I thought… I…it was all overblown?"

"You really thought that over a organisation that almost controlls the whole city? How do you think they do it? With flowers and presents? Get ahold of yourself brother."

"But...we…"

Jim turned to his brother and laid a hand on his shoulder. Bill looked not good, you could easily see that he didn't read the whole terms and conditions on this job summary.

"Done is done, we are now part and nothing will change it. So suck it up. If you can't handle the facts than wait outside of the room for me."

A last begging gaze to me and Bill was leaving the scene mostly because he was to devastated and also because of his brother. But before Jim followed his brother, he turned to me and spoke as if he suddenly remember what for troubles we went through together in the past. Too late pale, you made your decision, like I made mine.

"Nick for the sake of the old times, leave this city at once and never look back. There will be no happy ending for you or the bunny."

"Don't worry Jim, I know what I have to do."

No reply, just a gloomy grunting could be heard from him, shortly before he left the room. Judy waited almost 5 more minutes to be sure that there was no returning of the brothers, before she slowly extracted herself from the dirty laundry. She didn't say anything at first, just leaned her head against my back and listen to my heartbeat. It was too fast and to unsteady at the moment, to tell Judy everything is okay.

"Not the outcome we expected, huh slick?"

"No, more like worst case scenario. But no matter what or who they are, we have to do something."

I could feel a little paw massage me on the back of my head and know that my little bunny tried to comfort me and what should I say? It worked, she always gets me down, no matter how bad the times were.

"I know, we can't allow that two snitches from the company sneak into the ZPD. Besides we have to assume that at this point there are even more waiting for us, so we also can't trust anyone in the force, we don't know any better."

"Ahhh and especially now where I thought the day would be better after we... well…had some fun time. We will think of something, to solve this situation but not now, the day was long enough and we both need some sleep."

I turned myself around to Judy, who had a very concerned look on her face. No more worries for today, let's give her a little distraction. Without further thinking I grabbed her butt with my paws and brought her to my eye level. A little squeak from her, followed by a giggle and the whole situation turned slowly into something more comfortable. I gave her a quick kiss on the muzzle and began by explaining my plans for the rest of the day.

"Let's go, princess. I think we had enough trouble for today, maybe we two young and love hungry mammals should inaugurate your shower? What do you think?"

Her big eyes looked at me and I could see that there was a slight blush on her face. Still embarrassed after all we did together? Oh you little prudish bunny. But the following smile told me everything I needed to know about her thoughts.

"I think this is the best idea, I heard the whole day Mr Wilde."

And with a last view around the room, we left and made ourselves ready for a little action before it is time to say goodnight to each other and I had to separate myself from my little bunny. On the way to her room I thought about all the things that happened today, the training, the bet with Judy, the upcoming visit of her parents and not to forget hustling the company out of the police academy and the ZPD. Oh boy and I thought my live would now be steady and more quiet, when I have a partner and a solid job. But in the same moment I had to start to grin about my own thoughts, well wrong partner and wrong job if I wanted something like this. Oh come on Nick, as if you really wanted a quiet live. No, I wanted Judy and everything that comes with it, no matter how dark it will get and there was no turning back.

I looked at my little doe and could just asked myself how I deserved someone like her. She seems to recognize my gaze at her and gave me one of her most beautiful smiles. You know what? Life is good.


	10. Precaution Measurements

"Evil begins when you treat people as things." - Terry Pratchett

 **Woodpecker**

We walked slowly from our car to the factory, a snow leopard in his mid thirties and a fox in his fifties, our roles in work could for outsiders be easily mistaken. As the head of the execution commando, mammals often saw me as the dangerous part in this team and tried to attack me first. But this understatement of the situation couldn't be further from the truth, if anything on this planet comes closer to the embodiment of death it would be my chief. His face was mostly expressionless and his body calm, till now there were only few situations where I could see him lose his feelings a little bit but never his control. What you could see then was mostly anger but never fear or insecurity. Which didn't mean that he couldn't show emotion, he was a devilish seducer and talker and could if he wanted talk you into anything but most of the time he just didn't care.

"Sir, we got the first report about your son and the 'bunny'. Together with the last information I gathered about them, we should consider taking action against them."

The old fox chuckled slightly but without changing anything in his expression, he even continued staring in direction of the small factory. Never letting your aime out of sight, right old man?

"What is going on Woodpecker, since when are you afraid of this stupid son of mine and his overrated bunny?"

"I'm sorry Sir, but our report lead us to the conclusion that they got sensible information about the head of the organisation, which would involve you as well and you know I…"

"Yes, yes you are just afraid about my safety. Do you think I'm too old for this kind of work?"

"No Sir not in the slightest. You know it is just…"

"I know Woodpecker and don't worry the day I die is far away. What do they know and from whom?"

"It seems like Void gave them this information and also a black wildcard for each of them. It all resembles the events of ten years ago, where he did the same with Mr. Savage."

"Let him have his fun, all of the leading lunatics in the company and around it gets bored over the time, that is why they start to find new 'hobbies', to amuse themselves. Void likes to spread chaos in the city of Zootopia, Hawk likes to hunt and Crane has his own sick taste. And that is one of the reasons I still work everyday. In the end we have to deal with a fox hustler and a bunny cop, what can they do? Get us into jail? Scam money from us? Ridiculous."

We reached the building and I could feel that he was already tired to talk about this topic but I had to give him the full report.

"Sir, there is more…"

Kingfisher exhaled deeply and stopped some meters in front of the door to the factory. He turned himself to me and looked directly into my eyes. That was never a good sign. I felt how I got slightly nervous under his gaze but I tried to endure it and show no sign of weakness to him.

"If this topic bothers you so much Woodpecker, than we can discuss it later on. But first there is work to do."

I know that there was no use in talking with him now. As soon as he made a decision, there was no turning back for him or a change of his mind. And as long as he was open enough to discuss the whole topic further, well I just had to bring this problem later on again.

As soon as the first mammals saw us entering the factory, I could smell what filled the air and that was fear. No one talked to us, no one greets us and no one tried to look in our direction because they all know, when we enter a building someone will die and nobody wants to be the body who lays in the dirt.

The factory we entered was an old welding workshop but with the extended feature of a hidden chemical and medical laboratory underneath the surface, mostly used to produce chemical drugs or some lighter medicine. Normally there was a weekly amount of the product they have to produce, mostly methamphetamine but several times the half of it was missing. Driver and dealer could already be excluded from the suspects and the only one who remained was the chemist Simon a badger and his crew of various mammals. So our job was to make clear who dictates the rules in this game.

The worker tried to ignore us two unpleasant guests as good as they can but it was more than obvious that we interrupted their daily workflow. It was also obvious that a fox and a snow leopard in black suits and long coats are not the typical worker that came to this facility.

We made our way past a lot of workbenches, old machines that already started to rust and more workers that welded on heavy metal parts. I could feel the gazes of the worker in my back and what they thought. But I didn't care, work is work and mine was important for the city to keep it stable and functioning. The police has long lost it's place in this society and we took over, to control and lead this city. Yes sure some weak die but this is just the way it goes, unavoidable if you ask me, to serve the bigger idea of a working and living community. The chief would say that the natural selection allows those to flourish that are best fitted to live in our modern society and I could just agree with him to 100 percent on this topic.

We finally reached the door to the underground facility in one of the more isolated rooms. As ever the door was locked via biometric iris scanner and an additional passcode to secure it. In contrast to the rest of the building, it almost seems like alien technology that was forgotten down here in this rusty building.

We stepped down into the laboratory, myself as the first and the chief in second behind me. 5 mammals besides Simon were down here, a ferret, a brown bunny, a sheep, a deer and a moose. All of them turned their heads to the entrance, besides of the ferret who kept sitting on his place and didn't stoped working, it seems like he listened to some music and had earphones over his head, I had a bad feeling about the ending of the little ferret. Behind me I could already hear kingfisher attaching the silencer to his gun. Never wasting a minute or being unprepared, that is so typical for him.

Simons smile vanished as soon as he saw that kingfisher was with me. The tension in the room suddenly became more hectic and fearful, the mammals who worked here for longer, know what would happen next. A small but powerful command from kingfisher filled the room and everybody know that living and dying depended on the completion of this one order.

"Lineup."

My work here was to keep the mammals in front of me in check, to prevent hectic movements or the use of guns, so I slowly walked to Simon and the grouping mammals. All of them gathered in a larger spot where no huge chemical tanks and machinery was to find, extra for this reason was a blue line drawn on the orange floor, to let the mammals know where to stand. Kingfisher stood still at the metal stairs and watched carefully from one mammal to the next with his typical expressionless gaze. From some distance you could think that he is just in his 40s, he was keeping his body in good condition, I mean yes there are some grey hairs in his fur but nothing too extreme.

Simon started to speak to me in an almost whispering tone, as if this would help him now when HE is here.

"You said, you wanted to find the one who sold the 50 kg to Mr. Big? What do you want here?"

"We think we found him."

"You did?"

Simon seemed to be more nervous than before and I could just hope that our lead with him was correct. At this moment I recognized that the ferret as the last mammal, was still sitting at the table and followed his work. I knew that the old fox would start at any minute with the interrogation.

"What is with the ferret? Has he a death wish?"

"Oh shit, that is Francis he is new and hadn't time to listen to all the rules!"

Simon seems to start a last attempt to save his co worker. Calm and relaxed I remained in front of him, my arms crossed on my back.

"FRANCIS! FOR GOD SAKE FRANCIS COME HERE! FRANC…"

But it was much too late for the ferret. Kingfisher stood already behind him and pointed with the gun on the backside of his head. One small movement of his finger and we could hear the muffled shot of a gun, not much more than a cough. A fine red mist filled now the workplace of the dead ferret and with a loud and heartbreaking noise the body slammed on the ground. The fox looked a last time down at the corps, crossed his arms with the gun behind his back and made his way to us.

"WHAT THE FUCK? KING HE WAS NEW, THAT WASN'T NECESSARY. HE HAD FAMILY!"

"If he works here he knows the rules and if he doesn't know the rules, he doesn't work here. Simple as that."

Kingfisher was now walking straight to the badger and I could see how some of the mammals started to tremble and the deer, a female, even started to cry. I didn't know what bothered her but I knew what was it for me and that was not the brutality, the blood or even that someone knew him, it was that it happens so incidental. Just a little movement and his life was gone, no big ending, no heroic moment, just death and then silence.

Only the moose was quiet and watched the whole act with interest, I think I should keep a closer eye on him, still waters run deep. The old fox was now here and just one meter between him and the badger. And Simons concerned look told me everything I need to know about his mental state. He was devastated and on the edge to break.

"Besides, who do you think I am that you order me around Simon? The fucking janitor? We could also align you and your workers and execute every single one in this room. But no, we are just here to ask you questions, for now. The ferret didn't know the rules and you are responsible for him, you are responsible for every mammal that is working here. So you can blame yourself for his death."

No one in the laboratory tried to talk or even made a noise, everyone awaited the next words of the fox with high anticipation. Even I felt a little bit tensed and I work together with him for 10 years now.

"The driver and the dealer both explained me that never more than 50 kg of our product left this laboratory. Which leads to the conclusion, that someone in here sold it. You are the leader of this facility Simon and like I said before, with that you are responsible for everything that happens here. Honestly I think you are smart enough to see if only 20 grams would be missing. We also could clear that Mr. Big underlings, bought the drugs in the last week. Which clears up for us the when, the what and the who. But there's one question missing. And that is why? Why Simon? Why did you betrayed us? Five years ago I saved you out of the fangs of the mammals, to which you sold those drugs now. I don't know what you would call it but for me it's betrayal."

"K-king I didn't betray…"

Kingfisher stood still in front of Simon and never turned his gaze from the badger, more he directly stared him in the eyes and waited for a honest reply.

A loud exhale could be heard from the fox and he slowly turned himself to the rest of the mammals, walking down the line and clicking with one of his claws on his gun. The only thing that filled the air was now the monoton noise of the claw that dropped against the metal.

Clack

Clack

Clack

The fox took his time to examine all 4 mammals, he looked at every worker and waited for a possible reply. After what felt like an eternity he stood in front of the brown bunny which could only look to the ground. He spoke calm and almost friendly but not to the bunny.

"Listen Simon, I see 4 mammals in front of me, so I give you 4 chances to tell me the truth or with every lie or no answer one of your dear worker will die."

Simon didn't respond, he was too frightened to do anything. His eyes red from the tears and his head slowly and unsteady shaking from the terror. It seems he doesn't want to believe what happens around him and snapped.

"No answer, huh Simon?"

"I-i didn't, I-i d-didn't…"

Kingfisher saw that it was no use, to break him with talking. So he proceed with the hard way and turned to the bunny.

"What is your name bunny?"

"J-Jason Hopps, Sir."

"Oh, are you eventually related to the hero of the city? Judy Hopps?"

"Y-yes Sir, she is my cousin."

"Mmh, good, good. Tell me Jason how long do you work for us?"

"A-almost 4 years."

"Good, did you ever felt mistreated? Underpaid? Or do you have any other kind of bad feelings against us?"

"N-no Sir, the treatment was every time fine."

"Good, good."

"So Simon we have here a long time, reliable worker with no hard feelings against us and a name with a heavy burden."

Kingfisher pointed slowly with his silenced gun to the head of the bunny, no change of expression during the whole act. Jayson couldn't bear it anymore and started to cry without control, I didn't think that anyone could blame him for this.

"First chance Simon. Why did you betrayed us?"

"I didn't betr…"

*cough*

"Wrong answer."

And with his last statement the lifeless body of Jason dropped to the ground and fell on his back. His eyes remained half open and around his head slowly emerged a little sea of blood like a halo. I watched how the blood kept growing and growing and asked myself what Judy Hopps would do if she knew what happened to her relatives. Like many things, this was something she would never know. I mean what if she knows, would she kill? Would she give up her high standards for the feeling of revenge and killing or would she just bring us into jail? An interesting question if you ask me.

Without hesitation Kingfisher went on to the next mammal, a sheep that started talking as soon as he approached her. Under normal conditions anyone could see that she was totally hysterical and also not so far from losing completly control over herself but this was no normal situation.

"Please Mr Kingfisher, Sir, please don't kill me. I'm just 23 and I work for over 3 years without any complains in this laboratory and… and…my family, we need the money, they would be heartbroken if something happens to me..."

The crying sheep could no longer stand and felt down on her knees. And there it was the soothing side of the fox, trying to bring the sheep emotional down, get the situation back into control and of course to manipulate those around him.

"Darling, darling, darling. I'm sorry but I can't help you because I'm not the one who killed Jason or … what was the ferret's name, woodpecker?"

"His name was Francis."

"Francis right! You see, they would all live if everyone would go with the rules but unfortunately Simon broke them and now someone has to pay the price. What is your name Darling?"

"Melly, Sir."

He was even going down on his knee, to be for a short moment on eye level and gave her some security in this crazy situation.

"Melly, look. I'm here for the truth and only for the truth. And the problem is that Simon lied. He lied to you, he lied to me and he lied to everyone else in this room. So, I'm here to save what's left of this truth but for this I'm only a tool and I mean you can blame hardly a tool which did his work or do you?"

But she didn't stopped with her sobbing, she was done. Unable to step up for herself or anybody else.

"Listen, I can understand your problem but you have to understand mine too. When I go out in the streets and search for a worker, I can take 9 out of 10 mammals for this daily work you do. But unfortunately I need a chemist to run this laboratory and when I go out on the streets and search for such a mammal there is maybe but just maybe a 1 out of 100 chance to find such a mammal. Do you understand?"

Melly nodded as a response to the answer. Her gaze was empty and no longer begging. She gave up, there will be no more resistance from her site.

"Good, we will soon know what is your life worth for Simon."

Melly has calmed down but not because she would live. She realised that her life has no meaning in the eyes of kingfisher, resistance was futile and with every second she talked and tried to beg for her live it would only get worse. Without further talking, the chief was back on his feet and pointed with his gun at the now quietly sobbing sheep.

"Second chance Simon, Why did you betrayed us?"

The badger stopped talking long ago and just looked at the ground. But I recognized that he quietly tried to speak but it was nothing more than pointless brewing. And again the claw against the metal was the only noise that could be heard in the laboratory.

Clack

Clack

Clack

"I'm waiting Simon."

Clack

Clack

Clack

The first attempt was just a slow whispering but I think the fox heard it completely.

"What did you said Simon? You have to speak louder."

"I said I didn't betray you…"

*cough*

Melly fell over and her face hit with a loud banging noise the ground. 3 dead mammals in nothing more than 30 minutes, everyone else would need a minute to think about it or take a breath but not Kingfisher, he went straight to the next one, a female deer. And with a sugar-sweet voice he continued his interrogation.

"So sweetheart what is your Name?"

"Clara is my name, p-please Sir. I have two children who waiting for me… I need this job...please."

"Honey I understand you, I too have family."

"Really?"

"Yes and I can understand the burden you bear for the sake of your kids."

Kingfisher smiled a little bit and prepared himself to mock the badger even further. He loved those little monologues he just hold to mock someone or entertain himself.

"You see, we bear the burden of the whole city my dear. We are here to maintain the order and lookout for everyone to play to the rules and no one else can or could protect you not the ZPD, not the ZBI and also not the ZIA. They have too much to do fighting against each other and the ZPD is nothing more than joke and even a bunny hero will change nothing. Do you understand that?"

Clara nodded hysterically.

"Good, because Simon over here thought he could betray the only remaining force in the whole city. Pretty stupid from him, don't you think so?"

Again this hysterically nodding from Clara, you could see that she was frightened to death and only wanted to leave this situation.

A quick look at Simon and we could see that his shock had ended and all that remained was anger that was building up in him. Kingfisher always told me that anger was the best thing you could have in an enemy, there was only one direction it could take and like many times before you know the outcome. But this is what you waited for, the moment he lost control over himself is the moment he lost his life and you gained another victory. Your enemies anger could be your greatest ally.

"Unfortunately I get tired of this whole interrogation so let's wrap this up."

And with this words Kingfisher held the gun to Clara's head, as he did 3 times at this day. But this time the fox looked again deep in the eyes of Simon and waited for a final reply.

"So Simon why…"

"Wait!"

All eyes went to the moose who stood there and spoke out the words that let everyone a little bit stunned. Simon looked to the big mammal with a mixture of hate and astonishing, we should soon knew why.

"So someone finally decided to talk."

The moose nodded in reply to

"So first things first, who are you?"

"My name is Sven I'm a chemist like Simon, we worked together for Anderson Pharmaceuticals. He asked for help, to compensate the drugs he sold last week."

"You damned rat! How could you…?"

"I told you that I would not risk my life for your failures."

"IT WAS NOT A FAILURE! We had enough time to compensate everything but Peacock had to ruin this! He must send Kingfisher."

The fox had enough of this conversation. His gaze changed completely and I could feel that was one of those moments where his emotional control was a little bit out of sync. But despite all of this, he kept himself calm and didn't

"Shut up Simon, you did more than enough damage already."

The formerly quiet badger turned almost into a savage beast as soon as he heard the new accusations against him. He made multiple steps back but was still in my reach.

"DAMAGE? ME? YOU killed 3 mammals today without even blink with an eye! The drugs could be compensated but the lifes are gone forever you maniac!"

I admired him sometimes to be this calm, even when the hell brakes loose and mammals starting to go crazy around him. The fox just went on with a calm and soothing voice.

"Lifes? Do you really think all of this was about some workers and their lifes? I give a fuck about any mammal that is working here or in the welding factory above us. This should be clear to you. I just differ in your worth and like I said to the sheep before, a worker can be found at any time but a chemist, that is a little bit tricky. But it seems like we even have a replacement for you now."

Simon looked shocked in the face of Kingfisher and seems that just in that moment he realized that it was not the best idea to compensate his mistake with the help of another chemist. His hectic gaze wandered fast from one mammal to the next, he searched desperately for an exit but there was none. And with a last attempt he draw a gun from his back that he had hiding there for such situations, pointing it at Kingfisher.

"I don't care if I die but when I do, I take you emotional dead asshole with me. I mean how many worker died in this laboratory through your paws in the years? 20? 30? Everytime I see you, you disgust me more and more. The only thing you ever talk about are rules, order and the worth of mammals. I'm so sick of it!"

Every other mammal would have moved or did anything to be save but not the old fox, he stood just there staring at the complete hysterical badger waiting for him to calm down. The most would say it is stupidity or bravery what he did but I know it was just experience, every movement of him would lead to death and he knows that.

"Are you done?"

"What?"

"I asked if you are done Simon? Have you said everything you wanted to say to me?"

I could see that even more anger was building up in the little badger but he kept his stoic face and didn't moved an inch. Everyone in the room had now their eyes on the badger and all just waited for him to make a decision.

"Yes."

"Good, you know what you did, right?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"No one, who ever pointed a gun at me had survived this Simon and you will be no exception."

Simons gun started slowly to tremble, he knew he had no chance to survive this but he tried to play the one in control but there was no control, not for one bit and not for one second. I feel how I slowly became restless, not because of me but the chief was still standing in the direct way of Simon and it was still my job to protect him.

"You know Simon, till the moment you pointed the gun at me, I wanted to let you live. I mean your are still valuable to us and somewhere in a broken shack with a little laboratory would be a place even for you but this is now over. You had your chance and you wasted it."

A little nod from the old fox and I started to make my move. I was relieved that I finally get the permission to act, no more than one step and I was besides Simon. His reaction against me was much too late, he had just the time to turn his head to me and saw two huge paws reaching for him. My left paw could easily grab his whole head and with my right paw I gained control over his gun by breaking his small arm.

His painful screams echoed through the whole laboratory which lead both remaining mammals to flinch and the female deer even to faint. For a short moment all that you could hear were the sobbing and screaming of Simon and the impact of the dropped gun which felt to the ground.

"Ahhh, p-please King don't k-kill me. I...maybe I can be useful. I could…"

"You had your chance, the only thing you can do now is die. Woodpecker."

Just another nod from Kingfisher was all I needed and I knew what I had to do. With a single swing of my left paw I shattered his head on the ground. I could feel how his blood was running out of his head over my paw and in my fur. Blood, bones and parts of his shattered brain was all that remained on my paw, I took a last look at the body of Simon and exhale deeply.

Four dead mammals, it could be worse. I knew that the old fox would even clear the whole laboratory from the old workers to make a fresh start. But this was just a emergency plan if everything would go wrong. Simon was out of the way and with Sven we maybe even had a new chemist for this place, which meant lesser work for us and maybe just one week without new products for the company.

"Any injuries Woodpecker?"

"No Sir, I will just clean my paws."

"Good, now to you. You said your name is Sven?"

Till this moment the moose took care of the fainted deer, which slowly came back to her old constitution but fainted again as soon as she saw the corps of Simon. He laid her carefully on the ground and started talking to Kingfisher. Meanwhile my boss was talking to the moose, I made my way to the bathrooms in the next room to cleanup my paws. The water running over my paws felt good and I could see that even I trembled a little bit. A look in the mirror showed me the typical face and body of a professional worker in my field of activity but I knew that the last pictures of Simon would hunt me for the next weeks, maybe even month. Multiple years in the military and then the 10 years education and training with the old fox till now but to kill someone was still hard to handle for me afterwards.

A last deep exhale and I made my way back to the chief, who was still in the talk with Sven. Clara sat on her workbench and leaned her head on her claws, still sobbing and trembling in fear. I think she will take even longer than me to work this out.

"...so you understand the rules and what you have to do?"

"Yes Sir."

"And just as a reminder, you work for us and no one else. Is that clear?"

"Yes Sir. A last question, what is with the...well the corpses?"

"We already informed somebody who is in charge of something like this. You can take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow you can search for new workers, Peacock your new boss will await the first delivery in two weeks from now."

The moose nodded to the fox and turned back to the deer who was still mentally devastated and wouldn't have a clear mind for at least a week. Where did I know? Well most mammals who saw their first death or even murder react in a similar way. Mine was no different.

"Woodpecker we are done here."

I nodded and followed him out of the laboratory. As soon as the door was closed he talked again to me about the conversation with Sven and his assumptions about him.

"Keep an eye on that moose, he let 2 worker die before he interfered. If he wanted he could react even during the bunny but he didn't. After the ferret should be clear that we are not joking.I do not trust him."

"But Sir, isn't it normal that you trust nobody?"

A small smile could be seen on his muzzle, that is really something rare this days. But good mood is something I highly appreciated for the talk we needed to do in the car, I hoped that it will turn out better than the last.

"Almost Woodpecker, I trust myself and this will be enough."

We made our way through the now empty wielding factory. It was almost completely dark in here but for two mammals with a very good night vision, it was no problem. Outside we could see the sun setting on the horizon of Zootopia, five more minutes and we sat in our car ready to end this day but before that we had to discuss the problem with his son and the bunny. For a few moments we were just sitting there, me as the driver and he as my passenger like always. He hates driving so he gave up on this task as soon as he saw that I was in his eyes qualified enough to drive him around.

"You still want to talk with me about my son, correct?"

"Yes, Sir."

"What can a conman like he is, do to us Woodpecker?"

"He is no longer on the streets Sir, he joined the ZPD academy and in 6 month he is assigned to Judy Hopps as a partner. And according to our new snitches in the academy, he is taking it serious. He even broke some of the records, Hopps set up a year ago."

It was the most awkward silence I ever witnessed with him. He seems to thought about something or was he waiting for me to explain this further? None of this came near to the truth but what came was truly surprising. His loud and piercing laughter came out of nowhere and to this moment I never and I really mean never heard him laugh. He continued for almost an eternity before he slowly came back to his normal gloomy self.

"Okay Woodpecker and now the truth, what had my stupid son did this time?"

"Sir, this was no joke."

He was at first not sure what he should think about this but after some time I could see how a smirk appeared on his face and it seems he started to think about the whole situation from a different site.

"I think Void did us a favor here. He started something that could turn out to our liking, something big."

His smirk grew even bigger with every minute he thought about the idea.

"Tell me Woodpecker to whom is your loyalty? The company or me?"

Why did he asks something like this? I mean the answer should be obvious, he picked me up 10 years ago, trained me, gave me money, a job. Without him I would be dead and with me much more.

"I'm loyal to you Sir and to no one else."

"Good to hear that. You can drop me off at the central park, I need to think and a little bit of fresh air after this day in the lab should be a good alternation."

The rest of the drive was very quiet but every now and then I looked at him and saw still his wide smirk. He seems to be in a very good mood after he heard the news about his son and this was very surprising to me. Every time in the past when I told him about his son and the newest troubles he caused, he could only shake his head about the stupidity he had.

I let him out at the entrance of the central park and say a quick good-bye to him. He just nodded and walked in the dark and cold night, still with his smirk on his face. This smirk… he was planning something and I knew when he planned he did it big.

It was another quiet day in the city of Zootopia, more and more mammals dressed for the upcoming winter. I turned the car and drove slowly into an apartment complex in the best area of Zootopias central district. Internal I tried to calm and forget the events of the day and focus on my upcoming task. Something that was even more difficult than my daily job, maybe not so dangerous but mentally exhausting. I parked the car and went into my apartment building, like every day was Peter the security guard waiting at the entrance and greeted me with a friendly tone.

"Good evening Sir, I hope you had a good day."

"Thanks Peter, I can't complain."

"That's always good to hear Sir."

Without further conversation I went to the elevator and pushed the button for the 40th floor. It was one of those privileges in my job that the payment was extraordinary good, not just because of the old fox who seems to like me and who gave me every month a relative big bonus but also of the dangerous work I was doing everyday. But besides of the money, today was another of those days were I just wanted to go home, lay down and never go back to work again. But I knew it was not possible, I had to keep moving or like Kingfisher likes to say 'who stands still will die'.

Matthews - stood on the door plate to my apartment and of course I knew that this was my name but it was still strange that I came from work where the only name I was called was Woodpecker. Kingfisher gave me this name on the first day of our work, I knew his real name and he knew mine but every minor worker just knew what they had to knew and that was this pseudonym.

I tried again to calm down and banished the bad thoughts of the day deep into the back of my brain. Hopefully they won't be back till tomorrow morning, where another day of work began and I could let them free into the wild. Because the evenings and my spare free time is only for my family, there is no place for death, murder and all the other madness that is happening around me. And of course they will never know, for them I am only a office guy who works with an eccentric boss that gives me almost no free time. But there is always a price to pay and that one is mine.

I breathed deeply through and opened the door to the apartment, the mixture of different flavours was the first thing that comes to my mind. Followed by the calling of my daughter Samantha, a beautiful nine year old snow leopard.

"Daddy, Daddy how was your day?"

She runned directly into me and caused a little impact but hey she's just a little girl. I had to chuckle about the force she used to tackle me but besides that I kneed down and gave her a big hug, which she returned in a kind way.

"Hey there little princess. Mine was good and how was yours?"

Her muzzle gave me a sad but playful reaction, which explained everything to me but lets see what she has to say.

"Boring, too much math in school, everything else would be okay but math?"

"I know you don't like it, honey but it is important for your future. Besides don't you have soon the 'choose-your-future-job-day'? Do you already know what do you want to be when you are old enough?"

I stood up to put my coat on the wardrobe and loosen my tie. I could imagine a lot of things for her scientist for example, she is smart but I think every parent said that about their children. Or maybe sports, yes she was every time a good runner in the …

"I want to be a police officer and make the world a better place, like Judy Hopps. Do you think I will meet her one day? That would be awesome. I mean she is often on the streets, so maybe I can see her their? Oh I'm so excited..."

A little shock was what would describe my actual situation at best. Hopps? Why Hopps? Couldn't it be a film star or a boyband? Maybe this will all be over in some days or weeks and the next thing is on her agenda. I mean she is young such things change fast… but what is if not? Suck it up, it will all be alright.

"That sound good honey but don't forget you can become everything you want, okay? So if you want to become a scientist or athlete it is all open to you."

She smiled and rolled her eyes in the same playful manner she used earlier. I knew this rolled eyes to good from her mother, by the way where is Diana?

"Yes daddy but I will become a police officer, that is what I want."

Her voice sounded serious and that was what made me feel so uneasy. She was ever a little whirlwind but things she really wanted was something you don't get out of her head. I had a bad feeling about that.

"For now… Let's see and wait."

And without loosing another word she ran off into the living room, the last thing I heard from her was a joyful giggle that could melt my heart and made my day instantly a little bit better. To spoke about things that made my day better...I went into the kitchen to saw my wife standing at the stove and preparing the dinner while humming a melody I couldn't recognize, her tail tip slowly flinching to the beat of her humming.

Slowly I went to her and gave my wife Diana a loving hug from behind. Pressing my muzzle against her ear and whispering those words, that were almost a ritual for my homecoming.

"Did you miss me honey?"

She smiled and gave me the answer on which I waited the whole day.

"There is nobody who I missed more than you, Darling."

"Glad to hear that."

"I mean besides of our daughter of course. How was your day?"

"Exhausting and much too long. But there is always a weekend, right?"

Most couples, married or not, tended over the time to a lose each other or drift slowly apart. But not us, even 10 years after the day we said yes to each other, she was the love of my live, I couldn't imagine a life without her or Samantha.

But there were also dark sides and of course it was because of my work. There were things I could never tell them, things so horrible even I tried to forget them. But that was not possible, I can't forget them, I could only endure it for the sake of my family.

"Still time till we eat?"

"Mmh-mh let's say 15 minutes. You can accompany your daughter, I think she is watching a rerun of an interview with Judy Hopps and those fox, what was his name? I don't know, anyhow I tell you she loves that little bunny, told me proud like a tiger today that she wants to become a officer by herself. Oh and Clark, don't scare her with the stories you told her yesterday."

"Maybe I try not to tell her another of the stories but you know I just wanted to prepare her for Halloween."

"Mmh-mh, yes Halloween, sure."

Without a further discussion I went at first to the bedroom to changed into a blue shirt and some shorts to feel a little bit more at home. Time for my daughter but not without something to drink, so I went to our fridge and searched for my icetea. After I found for what I was looking for, I served myself a big glas and went into the living room where my daughter sat on the couch, totally into the show on the television. The moderator explained again the Night howler case and from time to time they showed Judy Hopps or Nick Wilde. And there it was the typical smirk I saw today on the muzzle of the chief, for the first time. It was astounding how much both resemble each other, just some more years and Nick will be a perfect copy of the old one.

I laid my left arm around my daughter and she instinctively snuggled into my left side, like she did many times when she was much smaller and also younger.

We watched the show but from time to time I heard one of her giggles and started to ask myself where the part to laugh was. Maybe just childish jokes, yes that should be it. Well at least I thought until she broke the silence.

"Daddy?"

"Yes honey?"

"Can a bunny and a fox be partners?"

"In the police? Why not?"

"No silly, I mean like you and mommy."

I had to chuckle about that thought, if she would know that I observed both for a while now...but there was no sign of something like a romantic relationship. I mean yes they spent almost every free minute with each other but how did she comes to that conclusion? Just the wishful thinking of young girl? Let's see.

"Why would you say that, honey?"

She was a little bit embarrassed about my question and tried to find an answer but it was difficult to find the right words, I mean she was still a nine year old.

"You know, it is how Judy Hopps looks at the fox and the fox looks at her… It is… well...like, when you give mommy a kiss and you two look at each other after that."

How they look at each other? Maybe I was not the right one to see something like that…

"Well there is no law that forbids something like a predator prey couple, but…"

"But? Why is there a but?"

Oh, this will be more difficult to explain. I scratched the back side of my head and hoped for the best.

"You see, a lot of mammals even here in Zootopia are against something like this. They say it is unnatural and should be forbidden. They say everyone should stay in their own species."

And then silence, I could almost hear how she thought about the things I told her. At least that would keep her a little bit busy, well I thought this. Let's concentrate on the show and to see I tried again to see what she sees in those both small mammals but I just couldn't see anything. Maybe I witnessed in my life just too many death and violence, to recognize something like that…

"Daddy?"

"Mhmm."

"Can we decide who we fall in love with?"

I had again to chuckle about her cute question but hey something like this could just come from a child.

"No honey, that is not how things work."

"And how do we stop loving someone? Can we just stop thinking about the other and it goes away?"

"Unfortunately no, this will also not work. Mostly you can't stop thinking about the other and that the whole time so..."

"...So even if I love someone from a different species I am not allowed to be together with him and because of myself I can't forget about him? That sounds so…"

"Limited?"

"...painful...Why do mammals do something like that? Why can't they let them in peace? That is so stupid."

I must say her chain of thoughts was correct, if you had the bad luck to love someone out of your species, than you could only try to endure it or you be a couple and get treated like shit. Literally. So or so it will end in pain. Laws are one site of the medal but the unwritten social laws are a whole different story.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Would you not love mommy if she was a different species. So everything is the same but her species is …. let's say a deer? Would you still love her?"

And there it was. I didn't know what to say. Outsmarted by a little nine year old kid. What would I do? What would I feel? Would something change?

"I… really don't know honey. But I believe I would still love her."

She looked with sad eyes to me and I knew that she didn't liked my answer or my hesitation. I'm sorry little one but that is a question I couldn't answer you so easily. Our conversation was interrupted through the calling of my wife, seems like dinner was ready. Samantha stood up and went into the kitchen but looked a the doorframe a last time back to me and smiled.

"Are you coming dad?"

"Yes honey, on my way."

I stood up and drank the rest of my icetea. And there it was those deep, loving glances that both exchanged and that the whole time. How couldn't I see that? Maybe there was really too much violence in my past and present.

And with that I slowly walked into the dining room, still thinking about the question of my daughter and the things I realised just seconds ago about the odd couple. Man, meeting the parents in law is even for the same species one hell of a torture but for interspecies relationship? To did that you really need guts and then as a fox in burrow of over 250 bunnies, you really had to love her more than your own live to do that. And with a last chuckle I entered the room to start our little family diner.


	11. Explanations of a daughter

"In a family argument, if it turns out you are right, apologize at once." - Robert A. Heinlein

 **Judy**

 _One time in my life I wanted to be punctual but no I had to be blessed with a fox as a partner. And especially today I had to deal with two of them, which meant double the problems I had normally just with Nick. I knew it was just 8:30 am in the morning...on a saturday...after a week of academy but today was the day where Nick will met my parents and the rest of my family. Oh god this could just end in a catastrophe, I meant it is Nick, I love him but..._

"Nick, Stella come on our train is soon arriving!"

"Is she every time like this?"

"You ain't seen nothing yet…sorry fluff, we are coming."

"I knew that Nick had problems standing up today but I didn't thought you would be the same Stella?"

"Oh, I'm okay I just walk so slow because I like to see him suffer and by the way Judy we have plenty of time, so relax."

"And they always say we red foxes are made by the devil…"

I look again on my watch and see that we still have 20 minutes till our trains arrive. Okay Judy come down, everything goes according to the plan. So I stand still and waite for those two lame ducks, to catch up.

"So Stella excited about the first trip to Zootopia?"

"Nah I'm okay, I was there for a short time when I arrived from the North. I'm more interested about the guide Nick choose for me. Hope it's none of your ex gangster friends."

Nick grins at himself and put on his sunglasses, whom did he asks for a favor? He don't told me…

"Believe me Stella you will love her."

"Wait! Her? There is no guy available for this job?"

"Are you afraid of a girl?"

"No, no … I mean pfff who could this be a old girlfriend of yours. Can't be worse than Trevor..."

"Mmmh, well there was a time in the past where we both shared a bed but girlfriend is not the right word for what we are… I would say we are even closer than this."

My confusion grow with every word Nick tells us but in the same way grows also his smirk and honestly I don't know which woman he could mean.

 _Yes I don't know everything about him but someone so close to him… Judy stop being jealous again, he is your fox and no one else._

"Even I don't have a clou, whom you could mean."

"Oh don't worry carrots you know her. Well I would even say you know her very well. I would go so far to say she is like a sister to you."

Nick leans down to me and give me a little smooch on my head, from which Stella starts to giggle. Now I understand whom Nick calls to show Stella Zootopia but I don't know why.

"I really have to say you two are also the cutest couple I ever saw."

"Oh oh she used the c-word, what are you gonna do now carrots?"

"Ehhm nothing, she said we are cute Nick not I am cute. There is a huge difference and that was a compliment."

"WHAT? I can feel a conspiracy against this handsome fox here."

We make our way through the little town of Woodbury, that is located right besides the academy. All in all is the train station not more than 2 miles from our starting point away, so even I could have taken this train from time to time during my training a year ago to visit Zootopia or my parents but I didn't. I was simply to caught in the training and in the learning, that I missed everything else. It is crazy how many friends I made since Nick is by my side. Maybe I missed really something in that time but hey the time with Nick compensates this more than enough.

"So and what is with you two? I mean I can clearly see how nervous Judy is and when I see what you two wanna do, huh...maybe you want to rethink your plan and come with me? And why the hell do you take your guitar with you Nick?"

"Lovely idea Miss Conroy to have a nice day in Zootopia but this fox here made a promise and he is going to fulfil this request. Besides that, I lost a bet, which is shameful enough for me. And to the guitar, you know those zombie movies where they come from all sites trying to take you done, right? Well I need at least something to defend myself from the bunnies, if they want to skin me alive."

"Haha Mr. Wilde, if you go one making fun of my family, I consider taking serious action against you!"

"And what will that be? Wake me on saturday extra early to hijack me into the wild of Bunny Burrow? Oh wait."

"Maybe I rethink that skinning alive thought from you and give that to the fluff army."

Stella looks confuse about my last point and well I can't blame her, I mean it is a typical Hopps joke that no one outside of the family could understand. Nick on the other hand looks now a bit more frightened.

"What in the name of the holy blueberry is the fluff army carrots?"

"Well in the Hopps home, all bunnies under the age of 10 are counted to the fluff army which is basically an uncontrolled mob of my siblings."

"What? And why do you call it army when you have no control over them? Would be horde not the more appropriate term whiskers?"

"They listen! Well… sometimes. At least to me, mum, dad and a little bit to Jimmy. Oh Jimmy you will like him, he and his girlfriend have the same music taste as you."

"Try not to distract me! Great so basically I will not survive this day right? Wait wasn't it your dad who gave you the fox repellent spray? And didn't you said something about a fox taser? Oh shit, this will not end good…"

"That is basically correct but I still have the hope that they will like you? Maybe?"

"Judy do you know what happen when I'm nervous?"

Nick is now already on the edge to get hysterically, I really hope he get a hold of himself. Really I never see him like this and I don't believe that there is a method to get my fox out of control.

"What happens when you are…"

"Bullshit, I will talk bullshit. And I mean stupid jokes and all of that. It is rare but sometimes even things get to me and, and that is not good. I'm not used to be insecure or not in control of myself…"

"Wow Judy I think you did it, I think you broke him."

"Oh no, not today! Nick take a deep breath, everything will be okay. I'm here with you…"

I take his paw in mine and try my best to comfort him. We can already see the train station but Nick just stares on the ground in front of him and shakes slowly with his head.

"275 bunnies, fluff army, fox taser, parents in law … this will really be my end… and that even before I tried to work in the force..."

5 minutes before our trains arrive at the station, we make it to the railway platforms. I gave Stella a last hug, which she replies just light and wish her just the best for the day, Nick stands just there and gave her a little salute with two fingers, he still looks very frustrated. Well it is Nick, we shouldn't think too much about it. She is on her way as her train arrives even a little sooner at the station, when she realises something and shouts from her platform over to us.

"WAIT, HOW DO I KNOW HOW SHE LOOKS?"

I shout back to her because Nick is still in a state of confusion and upcoming madness. No smirk no nothing, just an expressionless face and I don't like it.

"DON'T WORRY STELLA, I SEND YOU A PICTURE OF HER."

"THANKS JUDY AND GOOD LUCK YOU TWO! AND TRY TO FIX THE FOX!"

"I WILL DO MY BEST!"

And with those words she disappears in the train in direction of Zootopia.

 _I hope she will have a good time with Patricia. If Nick tries to pair them up? I know that Pati is interested in both sexes, so why not? I mean I am into a fox, how am I to judge? Mmhmm the more I think about the two the more I can imagine them as a couple._

I stood a little bit closer to Nick and try to listen to his heartbeat, during the time he needs to come down I think it is the best to search for a picture of Pati. The difficult part was to find one where she is not silly or childish, I don't want that she instantly has a bad first impression of the red vixen. After 10 more minutes he has slowly calm down and I think he is now ready to talk with me again.

"So Stella and Pati, huh? Alone in the city? Just the two?"

And there he is again the hustler and conman with his good mood, the site I loved so much about him and of course his characteristic smirk. But I know most the mood he displays is just a play to trick the mammals around him, well old habits die hard.

"You are maybe a little bit confused why I asked especially Pati for this, right?"

"Oh I know that she is into both male and female, she told me. Well she told me a lot of things about her. You maybe thought that they both would made a good couple?"

"Almost, Pati has the great ability to make you talk about the things that torture you internal, even if the last thing in the world that you want to do is to talk about those things. I don't know how she does it but somehow it works."

Nick's expression is again very dark and gloomy. He know something about Stella, he wouldn't have done something like that for nothing. This fox… he would do everything for a friend even if he also wouldn't admit it.

The growing rumble of the train is coming nearer and nearer, we knew it is time. With loud squeaking of the brakes holds the train right in front of us. Nick couldn't move, he just stares at the train and I believe that he imagine how great it would be if it just drives on without the two of us.

"There is no way around right?"

I give him my loveliest smile and try to comfort him the best way I could by taking his paw into mine.

"Sorry slick, not this time. Just tell yourself that you are doing this for me."

He lowers his glasses a little bit and looks deep into my eyes, he don't even need words to seduce me. A smile of him and I am fallen head over heels for him again.

"Judy, why do you think I'm in the academy?"

And maybe Sentences like those. Why? Because I know they are the truth. A indestructible one just between the both of us, that will stand till our death or maybe even beyond that.

"Oh come on Mr Ladykiller, we have a family to meet."

"Yes, your bunny highness."

Again one of his little salutes and his smiles to me and we both enter the train of the Zootopia Railroad company into the south. 3 hours till we arrive in Bunny Burrow and the train is rather empty, basically a perfect situation for a predator-prey couple. We sit ourselves down at the end of a row with two seats, just to have minimal contact with other passengers and a little bit of peace before we enter a place with so many bunnies that the word peace is only known to the oldest ones.

I sit myself at the window and Nick takes his place at the corridor. 10 more minutes of silence and I could feel that Nick wants to speak but he seems not to find a real starting point for the conversation.

"Let it out Nick, I know something is bothering you."

"Sorry, I had some thoughts in my mind and didn't know how to start, carrots."

He needs me and I know that, I lay my paw on his and stroked softly over his fur. He comes down, slowly but he do. I know that I demand a lot from him.

 _I mean one fox has to introduce himself to his parents in law and to two hundred seventy two siblings of mine. His whole life he witnessed prejudice against his species from all sides and now he felt in love with a bunny. The species which should has the most prejudices against foxes. Like everyone said we are two sides of a coin maybe we are not meant for each other. But this is something I can and will not accept, I will never leave him, even if this means abandoned an old family for a new one...but this is just the worst case scenario, we will see what the day will bring to us…_

I could see that he is finally ready to speak with me. But the topic seems to be very critical.

"Do you remember the links I send you?"

"Yes, some articles and reports about a crime in the north, where the main suspect wasn't punished. I mean those are tragic events but I can't see the connection to anything, so…?"

My gaze is pretty puzzled because he starts right after one hint to give me the solution and that is normally not his thing, he likes to tease me and check my abilities.

"I let Elliot dig a little bit in the past of Stella because I found it strange that she started a new life so far in the south, without any relatives near by. Well yeah those are the results…"

"No…, don't tell me."

"Yes Stella was the victim of the crime."

My mind is going crazy, I mean how could someone do something like this? Yes, I am a police officer but it is completely different if a crime happens to a friend, no matter how long you know the mammal.

"Do you know the name of the guy?"

With one jump I am on Nick's lap and try to start my interrogation, there must be something and I have the feeling Nick knows the name of that guy.

"Wowowo Lady what do you want to do? Interrogate me, leave the train, get the next one into the north and beat the shit out of this piece of crap? In the moment Stella doesn't need another friend she got to worry about, she needs someone to talk about this besides this whole thing lays two years in the past. I know how you feel but you have to come down. Okay Judy?"

He gives me a short moment to think about his words and yes he is right, I am to impulsive maybe I should work on this. Oh Judy you and your overreacting And with a smile on his face he continues his explanation.

"I know you only want the best for the mammals around you but sometimes things need their time. And I bet she never talked with someone about it and yes if she had talked to you, you had tried to make things right but justice did not served her right and even you my little perfect bunny can not undo all the bad in the world. I'm sorry."

He is right and I have to acknowledge that. And so we sit there for maybe twenty minutes, a bunny on the lap of a fox, which slowly and softly strokes over my ears to calm me down but even after some time I had my fist clenche to his shirt. I have to chuckle a little first he needs and then I, we are a strange couple... And well sometimes things just had a bad timing.

After a short stop in the countryside, to be precisely we were at the railway station in Kingsguard, the train starts moving as a deer and her two children enter our section. The closing door forces her to look in our direction. I could feel how those judging eyes make me angry but they don't look with a devastating gaze at me, for me there is nothing more than pity, no they are looking directly at Nick.

 _You really try to judge my fox? Are you insane? Do you want to provoke me? I will show you something for what you will pity yourself! And believe me, I'm not in my best mood today._

One more second and I would have jump at her, if Nick hasn't hold me back.

" _Disgusting!"_

 _Okay that's it! She's done, she crossed the line and she will now pay for it._

But again it is Nick who answers before me and throw himself in the first line of defense. And of course he do this with his typical smirk and a plan in the back of his mind.

 _Why Nick? I can handle this situations, why do you have to interfere and protect me? Do you think I can't do this on my own?_

"If you are talking about your clothing ma'am, than yes."

The deer is for a short moment in shock about Nick's words, she doesn't seem to await any reply for her statement. He is still holding tight onto me, he knows that when I have the chance to slip through I would do it. But he is there holding onto me and his smirk, not letting the deer out of his gaze for one moment.

Her confidence is fast back and this time Nick is the main aim of her verbal attack.

"What did you say fox?"

"I don't know Ma'am, what did you say about me and and my girlfriend?"

I know I should be angry about her and I am but the way he mentions me in front of everybody else is something, that let my heart feel a little bit lighter and that shows that he really loves me.

 _I mean I know that he loves me but there was still this little doubt in my head, why he don't want to make it official_ …

"I said you two are disgusting! The bunny because she lets herself trick by a 'fox' like you! But you! You are the worst of this tainted and loathsome unnatural couple! You both should go to hell and never come back! Because mammals like you make the world a dark and shady place!"

And there it is, all her disgust, all her hate and all her stupidity are thrown at us and we can't do anything. My paws are shaking from the anger about this mother but I can't move. Instead I felt how Nick's paws get a tighter grip on my shoulders, he is not hurting me but I could feel him clear as day. Nick seems cool and concentrats as if he is trying to hustle her but this here is different.

"Are you done Ma'am?"

"What?"

"I asked if your done shouting at us? Because your kids look terrified to me and honestly I don't think we are the reason for that."

Nick is right, the kids both not older than 6 look at us and don't understand what her mother is getting at. They just see a bunny cuddling with a fox. But beside the little family, one thing is sure we have the attention of all other mammals in this part of the train.

"In the end we did nothing illegal, I just comforted my friend for hearing a bad news and you can't blame someone to feel bad or do you? So the point is you try to set your, excuse me to say it like that stupid thoughts into your children's minds as if we are two criminals on the run from the law."

But she doesn't come down, no she is ready to launch the next attack and there it comes.

"What you two do is maybe not illegal but it is unnatural…"

"Yes and so is clothing, technology, a society of predator and prey living in peace and everything else that exists in this modern days. So if all of this 'unnatural' things bother you so much, than step back, go into the woods and live a simpler life but stop bothering us with your shit, okay?"

I could see the hate in her eyes but I could also hear the chattering around us and that is the surprising thing, they are on our site.

" _Did you see how that deer outraged on those two, sick I tell you! And that with two kids!"_

" _And look how frightened her kids are."_

" _...you don't have to agree with the fox completely but he is right when it's about leaving them alone, they do no harm and do nothing illegal."_

" _How can someone like that be a mother!"_

It seems that the emotion in her vanish a little bit and her mind kicks back in. Why? Well she seems to recognize the talking around her and that she is standing on lost ground but I havn't thought of the upcoming reaction. And wouldn't Nick's grip on me be so tight, I would do something, children or not. It can't be that she talks in such a way with us or better with Nick.

Without a further warning she slapped Nick in the face and left the part of the train dragging her children behind her. I have enough and try to escape Nick's paws but he hold me tight but without hurting me. I see a little bit of blood on Nick's muzzle. But he just keeps his smirk and wipes it away.

"Why Nick? Why don't you let me do anything? It is not fair how they treat us!"

"I know carrots but you can't always solve problems through action. Sometimes it needs a stoic mind that lets you keep walking on your path. And I know that it hurts you but this behaviour is the reason why I want to keep it down in Zootopia."

"But, what she did was not fair. She hurt you and you let her just go!"

"Judy listen, she will never accept us. She and her thinking are out of our reach. This whole thing wasn't about her, it was about the mammals that listen to the conversation and for her children. It doesn't matter how right we are, in the end it is just about how much they like and accept us. And unfortunately this is just a question of time not action."

I give my fox a big hug because even when he doesn't say it, he is hurt and that badly. He also slowly replies the hug from his side.

"I'm sorry Nick that you had to endure that."

"Don't worry whiskers I'm used to it. I just don't want that she gets at you, this is where I draw the line. And hey? Maybe I really tricked you into something?"

I could just smile about this stupid suggestion.

"Dumb fox. I think you earned yourself some cuddling."

For a short moment I want to leave his site and sit down on my own place but hey if they can't stand the sight seeing a bunny with a fox, they can go to the holy blueberry! And with that words in my mind I snuggle myself into Nick's site look up to him and reply his kind smile. For the rest of the ride we cuddle together and wait for the train driver to announce Bunny Burrow. I think I even fall from time to time asleep during the last 2 hours of our drive, in my lighter sleep moments I could feel how Nick was watching over me with a smile on his muzzle.

 _This dumb fox...always watching over me…come on...show me that smile again..._

But too late, I am already asleep to the tock-tock sounds of the train and Nick's warm fur. I don't dream anything, well at least nothing I can remember.

"Hey carrots, I think we reached Bunny Burrow."

I slowly wake up but in the opinion of my fox it is not fast enough. Why you ask? Well I can feel his warm and wet tongue going over my whole face, I think I don't need to mention that this wake me up instantly?

"NICK, why?"

"What? Since when did you have something against a good morning kiss from your prince?"

"Maybe I should overthink this whole relationship."

"Oh come on whiskers, you know you love me."

"Do I know that?"

Nick waits for the rest of the practiced reply but now is my part of teasing him.

"Honey, I think you forgot something?"

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do."

And with that words and still a wet face Nick and I leave the train to the Bunny Burrow train station but with one or two swipes of my paws I could remove the most of Nick's saliva. Nick was now totally back to his old self, with a big grin on his muzzle and his sunglasses covering his eyes, he watches his new surroundings and what for new things he discovers here.

A quick look over the train station reveales that no one besides the old Jenkins is here. He is the booking clerk who sells tickets to you and yes Bunny Burrow still has no electronic ticket vending machine… and yes I know future arrives slowly in the countryside. But I recognize that my fox is fascinated by another item that made this train station unique and that is the huge panel with the 'real time' birth rate of Bunny Burrow. Nick chuckles and almost started to laugh.

"What is so funny Nick?"

"And I thought for a long time you are just a bunch of innocent, fluffy creatures with a cu-...adorable, I-I meant adorable little tail but it seems you are hustlers like some of us foxes. I mean this is really big trickery, a huge panel in the sight for every mammal that drives through this town?"

 _We still have some time, so let's tease him a little bit._

"What makes you so sure that it is not real, I mean you know the stories about our multiplying abilities?"

I come close to him and pull him down to my muzzle, whispering the next words to him and I can see how his grin is growing almost immediately.

"And I think you even witnessed some of those abilities, am I right my little red friend?"

"Maybe? But just to be sure can you show it to me in a quiet minute again? You know we foxes have our problems remembering things."

"Okay, maybe tonight."

A quick kiss between the two of us and we stand there staring at the huge panel with the numbers that don't stopped changing.

"Surrounded by two hundred of your brothers, sisters and oh I almost forgot your parents? Sounds great… I think then I will die for sure through the fox taser, well at least I had some intimate cuddle time shortly before...there are worse ways to die."

"So how do you know it is just a joke."

"First thing I am a hustler, that is something even you can't change Carrots. Second, everything here is made out of wood. You still have a guy who sells tickets to you if you want to leave this place. So you want to tell me, you can track your birth rate in real time? No way that this fox believes this story."

"One time a hustler, always a hustler right? But you're correct, it is just a joke from the town oldest mammals."

I look around us, it is almost noon but still a very sunny and warm day. The golden september try to show his best side. Under all his coolness my fox is still terrified, I can feel it but there is no way around the upcoming meeting.

"Come on slick we have to go."

"Mmhmm."

Probably the best reaction, I can get from him. We make our way through the train station, greeting Mr Jenkins and start to walk on the dusty road.

He exhales deeply, preparing himself for the upcoming events. I have still the unpleasant meeting with the deer in my mind.

"So anything I need to know about the Hopps or some special characters?"

"Yes you should be careful about my sister Jessica, she is into everything."

"What does that mean?"

"Well… she would take every mammal male or female but besides that she likes her clothing light and her makeup thick."

"And?"

"And she looks like me and I mean exactly like me, even mom had her problems to differ us sometimes…"

"Wowowo hold your wild horses. So you basically saying there is a hooker version of my bunny which likes to bang everything she sees?"

"Basically...yes…"

"Oh great, somebody who is on my side or do I really need my guitar and I don't mean to play on it."

"Yes, yes of course. My brother Jimmy and his wife Cathy know about you and I think they like the same music as you which could be a great starting point. She is a black bunny and he is a typical Hopps but I think a little bit more open minded… and besides her open lifestyle, Jess is also interested in you but don't get second thoughts! You have choosen your bunny."

"Good, at least somebody and don't worry I think I can differ you two because of my good nose. Another advice carrots, you would give me?"

"Yes please be honest with them, I think it is at least what they deserve."

"Honesty? Okay I never tried that one but there is for everything a first time…"

"Hey you were honest with me?"

"Mostly but there are still things I can't tell you and besides that where did it brought me? Directly on the countryside, there is no better place to hide a dead fox...auhh?"

I must say the punch is pretty, maybe a little bit too hard. But I think he will survive it.

"Dumb fox, it's sometimes not easy to love you."

"Sly bunny, but for me it is every time easy to love you."

A hug from the side and my fox was smiling again, okay it is a painful smile but at least better than nothing.

We are passing along of fields and other little Bunny houses and I see how Nick is watching his surroundings.

"Maybe 5 more minutes till we arrive. How are you doing?"

"Don't ask. But I'm trying to pull myself together."

I give him a last smile. In some distance I can already see the Hopps burrow. It was like a gigantic hill but with the difference that there are hundred of windows all over it and some smoking chimneys. On some places there are also little balconies instead of the windows, mostly for the bigger bunnies like me, Jessica or Jimmy who have also bigger rooms for them or a partner. The side to the yard has even a wide range balcony over 3 floors with stairs which lead directly in the yard. Besides the burrow there are also some barns for the vegetables, corn and other things we cultivate on the fields or the machines we need to do so.

In the middle of the yard stands like ever a huge oak tree and I can't even remember how often we climbed on that old buddy. It is almost a part of the family and besides that, the stump of the second oak tree which is destroyed because of a storm years ago, when even I was a child. Around of the stump we arranged tree trunks to sit and celebrate, if we found an opportunity to do so. And everywhere you look, there are little bunnies running, playing and laughing around the burrow. Nick looks at this with an open mouth and widened eyes, he even took down his sunglasses for this great look.

"Don't tell me that huge thing is the burrow…"

We slowly walk into the yard and in the distance I could already see my parents and Jess walking up to us. Mum and Jess waving her paws at us.

"Yes it is and now is the time to show your best side Nick."

My parents need some time to arrive at our place, I can hear them already chattering but it seems like Jess could hold her mouth at least for this time.

"Judy."

 _Oh no that is not good, he used my real name…_

"Yes Nick."

"I get nervous…"

"Oh no please not now, please get ahold of yourself..."

"I try my best carrots but please don't hate me after that."

But it is too late to talk to him. Mum, dad and Jess stood already in front of us, my parents both with a big smile in their faces and my sister with a grin that told me she is just here for the show. Mom seems slowly to get the situation and the constellation in which we are standing here but my dad seems not really to understand what happens at all and so he starts the conversation.

"So hey Judy and… Nick, right? It is nice to see you. But I ...more we thought we would met today your friend?"

I take a quick look to my fox but he is totally paralyzed and I doesn't even need to concentrate to hear his heartbeat, it was way out of the norm.

"Look dad that is the thing… well Nick is my friend."

"Yeah sure he is your friend, I mean why would he be here if not but I mean your friend friend. Oh come on Jude you know what I mean."

It is mum who tries to explain it to dad.

"Steward, Nick IS Judy's friend there is no one else here, okay?"

"Ohh...oh….ooohh. I get it at least I think so."

They both look puzzled but not angry or sad, maybe a little bit disappointment in their gaze. Even to my surprize Nick take a step forward and is standing now in front of both to shake their paws. I can see a unsecure grin on his face, he doesn't know what to say.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hopps, I-I am a great fan of your work."

And with two little nodes in my direction from him, I could just facepalm myself…

The eyes of my parents widened and I could already hear what they thought…

"You didn't really said and did that Nick, or did you?"

He is embarrassed and that was something I never sae from him before. And the only thing he could do was to facepalm himself too, I could also hear that he was in a state between laughing and crying…

"I'm sorry."

I exhale deeply and try to make him feel a little bit comfortable by stroking over his back with my right paw.

"At least you tried…"

And that was the moment where my sister can't keep it any minute longer together. She burst into laughter and also needed moms help not to fall over.

 _Okay Judy think, Nick is no use in the current situation. I have to clear this mess alone with them under clear conditions and the best place for this should be the kitchen. Geez not the best start I can imagine..._

Without hesitation I take my parents by their paws and walk with them in direction of the burrow but not without giving some last instructions to my sister and Nick.

"Nick I will have a talk with parents inside under six eyes, make yourself comfortable. And Jess, please keep an eye on my fox and yes I said my fox so paws away from him. I know you!"

It is strange but as soon as I say 'my fox' both of my parents turn with an amaze gaze to me. They will get used to it, at least I hope that. Without further discussion outside we enter the kitchen on the first floor, I let them both in and close the door behind me.

"Soooo, you two maybe ask yourself why I have such an idiot as friend but I can assure you that he is not every time like this."

"You think that is our main problem with Judy? So he is not every time a fox? In reality he is a bunny and just likes to dress up as one to fool other mammals?"

"No mum he is a fox and there is nothing that will change that."

"But why Jude, why a fox? What did he do to you that you are so fallen for him?"

"What do you mean dad, what did he do? Do you think he has hypnotized me so that I fall for him? Do you think he wants money from me or do you think he wants to have some of my stupid fame that the media gave me because of the Nighthowler case?"

"Maybe? What do we know he is a fox! Maybe that is his thing to take out young innocent mammals and then go one to the next one!"

"That is not really what you think dad? Mum?"

But my mother stand still there, her paws folded in front of her with a gaze that only told me 'Please Judy tell me this is all just a joke'. Her concern and worries about me couldn't be clearer displayed on her face.

"Judy listen you were always special, from the first moment I saw you I knew that you will be the one who I have to worry most in my life and I accepted it long ago. But this...he...for a mother it is hard to understand why you want to destroy your own future."

"What do you mean with that mum?"

I already knew what was her point but I want that all the things they have in their mind are at least for one time spoken out and not suppressed in their minds for the next years, till some other argument brings them back to the top. I know that will hurt more.

"Judy you can never have children of your own."

I know what she will say but still I became slightly angry and my voice also sounds harder as I want.

"Don't you think I know that? And beside that don't you think I know that we will never be accepted from society? And don't you think I know what I give up when I will be together with him? And before you ask I choose him, I wanted him as badly as he wanted me. He tried to say no to me, just to protect me but I didn't let him. This is no one sided thing, this is serious business and do you know why?"

My parents stand in the middle of the kitchen behind the table and holding each other in the arms as if they have to fear what would come next. Well maybe their fear is not so far from the truth…slowly it turns dark in here and I already felt gloomy being alone with the two in here. I need my fox around...

My thoughts were drawn back to that day, to the club, to Void and to… Nick. And besides all the terrible information I get on that day it is still one of the best in my whole life and this just because of him. I can feel how I am relaxing and also my voice is now more soothing and far away from the harsh tone I had just seconds ago.

"The day we became what we are now, was also for us the day where we had to make a difficult and dangerous decision. And no I can't tell you more because then dad would lock me up in my old room and never let me out again, like you did when I told you that I would beat up the neighbour badger for mocking Gerald."

"Jude, what…?"

"Please dad, just listen. This is important and I think you deserve to know a little bit about this. And one last thing, I've made my decision it doesn't matter what you say, I will not change my mind on this topic no matter what it costs me."

I lean on one of the little chairs we bunnies use and exhale deeply.

"On that day Nick and myself get information about a crime organisation and how this city really is. I was confused at first and didn't wanted to believe what this person told me but to my bad Nick could confirm most of this information from his time on the streets and his old work. To be honest, I was devastated and even I thought about leaving the city and coming back home. But I couldn't. If I do nothing, if I stand aside and just watch what they do without interfering, I would be as guilty as everybody else who knows about this. And I couldn't live with that sin in my mind."

Both of them look at me with widened eyes and something I don't know from them and that is fear. Just fear about my life and don't get me wrong I see them scared in the past but nothing in comparison to this. I don't like to frighten them but at least they deserve a little bit of the truth, just enough to understand when something happens to me and Nick. And why it happened.

"Nick was free to go, he knew better than I did what lay ahead of us. He knew the mammals, he knew the laws they use and most important he knew their power and influence over the city. But he also knew that I could never let it go, I have to do something. And he knows me too well and that after this short time..."

A single tear was rolling down my cheek but I don't care and besides all that bad memories I am still smiling and I knew why, it is because of him. Mom stands up and comes around the table to comfort me, she always know what to do when the mood of one of her kids is down. But she doesn't interrupt me, she just takes me into her arms and tries to be there for me.

"Like I said he had the chance to go but he didn't, he said he would stay with me to the end and I believe him. I am the main reason why he attend the police academy, just to know that I am save. He got beaten up because I had the great idea he should clear up his past and some of his old friends didn't like it. But he did it. And if you believe it or not he had a band and with them he played every sunday in the Zootopia central park and he left them for me, he even gave away his precious guitar."

Dad looks ashamed to the ground, he knows what he said about Nick was not fair. But I want them to understand how important this whole thing with Nick is.

"I'm honest with you. I don't plan so long in the future to think about children, a family or even a wedding. Maybe Nick does but not I. And dad you mentioned sooner that he could leave me and go to another innocent mammal…"

"Jude please, that was the stupid talk of an old bunny who didn't know that he gave up so much for you…"

"No, you two have to understand this about fox relationships, when once decided they don't leave their partner, they stay with them. And even if their partner… dies, they will not search for a new one. Mostly they stay heartbroken for the rest of their lives. So..."

Both are now silent and look at each other but like ever mum is the one who understands the situation faster. Dad seems not to be sure what it means and so he does what he ever does when something was over his mind, he asks mum.

"So… Bonnie, what…"

"He truly loves her Stu, no matter how the outcome of their work is or what happens Nick wins nothing. He does this all just for our daughter Stu."

"I don't demand that you love or even like him, the only thing I wish for is that you give him a chance. And believe me you will not regret it."

I wipe away my last tears and can finally smile again because they are not completely against us and I think they understand the situation we are in, well at least a little. As always dad tries to lighten up the mood in the room. Maybe in a clumsy way but hey that is dad.

"So a fox heh? So ehm how do foxes live? Like we in a burrow, I mean is that even possible in the city? And do you live together there?"

Mum and I chuckle about dads assumption.

"No dad, Nick owns an apartment in the city. And yes we are living together. But at the moment he is in the academy, so if you like you two can visit me sometimes."

"But isn't it his place? I mean it is nice of him to let you life there but you can't do as if you own it Judy."

"Well...basically...I found one day during a cleaning session the deed of ownership and no I was not looking for something, anyhow it looks like he had sign me in without telling me. So technically we both own it…"

Again they both exchange a quick look but this time they start to smile at each other.

 _What was that now? Have they now a surprising change of mind or what is going on?_

"What do you think Jude will the rest accept him in the family?"

"I hope so, I mean I don't know for sure. You have not met his best side, he was very nervous the whole day. But I know that this meeting would go as smooth as the one with his family..."

"Wait Judy? You already know his parents? Who does this happened?"

"It was part of the task I gave him to clear up his past. And one night, at this time we were not together, he invited me to his mum and sister. They both assumed that we are already a couple and to be honest retrospectively we were already one but couldn't admit it. Anyhow they both welcomed me into the fox family without second thoughts, till now they have not once mentioned or highlighted that I'm a bunny. They both don't care."

"Wow Jude, I never thought it is so seriously...and Nick's father?"

"That is... difficult, he left the family when Emilia, Nick's mum was pregnant with Patricia. And she will not talk with anyone about him, so maybe not the best topic."

"Oh no… the poor thing. How is she doing with that?"

"Oh she is doing fine, she has her own restaurant in the city. And I wouldn't pity her, she had handled all by herself very well. I mean Nick had made her some trouble but this times are over…"

Mum ears suddenly go straight up and after some seconds dad and I do the same thing.

"Do you hear that? Is that music?"

"Oh that could be Nick, he has taken his guitar with him. Like I said he is good at playing and singing. Maybe he is giving a little concert."

I take my mum by her paw and give dad a sign to follow us. With both bunnies behind my back we enter the balcony on the first floor to have a better sight over the yard. As soon as I open the door, I can already hear my fox playing but there is also the sound of multiple bunnies. And finally in sight of us we all three stand there with an open mouth. What we see?

Well Nick stands on the old oak stump a little black bunny on his head which was weaving like crazy with his arms and he is singing one of his songs. He is surrounded by every other bunny in my family and all of them are dancing, laughing and singing around the oak tree. Just the older ones like Jess, Jimmy or Cathy are sitting on the tree trunks clapping to the rhythm of the music and chattering. _I have no idea how he did it but it seems he could win the rest of my family with his smirk and some songs._

He ends his song and makes a little bow, in shock mum put her hands in front of her mouth as she sees that little Tommy, the black bunny on Nick's head is falling to the ground but of course my fox has the situation under control and catches the little bunny, just to put him back on his shoulder, where he sits, giggles and waves with his little arms.

But as soon as the song ends all the little bunnies around the oak stump shouted to him.

"Uncle Nick, uncle Nick another song please. PLEASE."

The fox replies with a friendly laughter and says to the crowd.

"You greedy bunnies, you seem not to know when to stop heh? But okay you wished for another song, you will get another song."

I turn my head with a smile on it to my parents, which are still standing there with an open mouth and it seems they can't believe what they see.

"I think we don't need to worry about the rest of the family, he seems to has them pretty good under his paw."

And without further chattering I close my eyes and concentrate just on the voice and the play of my fox.

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I hope you like the new chapter, if so I would be honored if you leave a comment. Thank you ;)


	12. The Story of the Foxes

So guys I did it again but I will not apologize for building songs into my text. Who wants to listen to the songs, the list will be at the end in the same order how they appear in the text. But I hope, you will like the chapter. And to all impatient readers, the Introduction arc will go up to chapter 20 after this the real fun will slowly start. And like ever, it would be great if you leave a comment about what you like or dislike. I'm open for any productive suggestion.

* * *

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof." - Richard Bach

 **Nick**

The only thing I can do is watch how Judy drags her parents into the burrow and I'm still here with her sister that looks exactly like her but has a more childish behaviour… reminds me a little bit of Pati… . Jess still lays in the grass and laughs about my stupid joke. Oh Nick this time you fucked up great. I go to her and lend her a paw, to help her up.

As I come closer to her I take a more detailed look at her. She really is the mirroring image of her sister, purple eyes, the pink nose even her fur pattern is almost identical, well from the parts she shows, the rest can be mhm different... But as soon as I take a sniff in her near, it is completely different. Not the great and overwhelming scent from Judy which has me fallen for her in a second.

"Do you need help?"

"Ahh thank you Nick."

"Your welcome."

"What a handsome fox you are, I can understand why she choose you."

And then this seducing smile, I know what you want, forget it. That is not the game I'm playing, not anymore.

"Cut it out Jess, she told me about you and she told me about your, let's say 'abilities'."

She still keeps her smile and if that isn't enough she also put her right paw on her hip.

"Believe me Nick, she knows nothing about my real 'abilities', okay?"

"..."

She comes closer to me, until we are almost standing muzzle to muzzle. And she has still her smile on. Hell why must be this day so goddamn warm?

"Do you feel uneasy in my presence?"

Enough, time for the hustler, I lay on my smirk and play this little game with her. Let's see who gives up first.

"Half a year ago I would have say no but now I'm no longer so sure but…"

I put my nose between her ears and inhale deeply her scent - clearly not Judy and with that no reaction from my side, just a normal scent with no meaning for me. She briefly flinches and lost her smile.

"...no sorry. That is not the smell I was looking for Jess."

"Wait, do you want to tell me, that I stink?"

"No, I want to tell you that I don't need your look to differ you from your sister. And your scent gives me absolutely no reaction, sorry."

With a smile on her face she raises her paws and signal me that she gives up.

"Okay fine, you win. But I tell you one thing fox. If you ever hurt her and it doesn't matter how, your done. I'm maybe the sunshine of this family but watch out this sun can burn you."

She tells me all of that with a smile but I know she is dead serious. Okay one more bunny on my list, I will not provoke. Finally I decide to node and move on with the conversation.

I am still worried and look to the entrance of the burrow where Judy and her parents disappeared sometime ago.

"So what do you think, will this take long?"

"Don't know, we didn't had so many sons in law that also happen to be foxes."

"So I'm basically the first other species…, predator… and fox who comes to this home, right?"

"Yap."

"Oh great...more bad news?"

In this moment we hear something very heavy slam to the ground in one of the nearby barns. A huge cloud of dust streams into the open air followed by a lot of giggling and laughing little bunnies.

"Oh no that is not good, ehm like Judy said make yourself comfortable and take a look around, I bet you will find somebody you can talk with, I mean there are a lot of bunnies around here, I have to take a look, what the little devil's broke this time..."

"This time?"

I can't hear the rest of her talk because she is already too far away but seems still that she is talking to me. Crazy bunny. But at least she doesn't seems to be against us, well maybe a little bright spot. Hopefully the rest of the bunch is not the same but hey Judy is from here so...let's admit it I'm screwed…

A quick look around and yeah there are a lot of bunnies but they seem to avoid me and really do I think it can be any different? So I make my way over to the huge oak tree. To my surprise there are 6 little bunnies playing in the shadows. Our eyes meet and for a short moment there is complete silence. I bet this must be the feeling of our ancestors, when a predator is standing in front of prey, ready to hunt and kill. Just with the difference that I don't want to do one of those things but I am hungry and the only growling the bunnies can hear is that of my tummy. Great me and my luck...

As soon as they hear my growling tummy it is like a chorus who starts to scream in perfect harmony, followed by a quick run to the next safe spot they know. Well not all bunnies run away, a black one remains and look at me with big green eyes and a stupid smile that all kids have, I mean you know those smiles we all had them.

"What's up buddy? Don't you want to run too?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes, but…"

Without another word the little black bunny, which was not older than 5, starts running in another direction than the others did but disappears out of my view rather quickly. He will not be back so fast. So I take my time and sit myself under the huge tree and watch carefully my surroundings, there are bunnies working in the gardens, brown fields which had some time ago a lot of corn, wheat or other grain on it, trees with fruits in different colors and shapes and overall lays this silence that you will never have in the city. A silence that makes you feel save and I don't know, at home. Now where I have the time to let everything around affect me, I have to say I like it here, no crazy mobsters, no unfriendly town mammals and the best no dangerous organization that wants me and Judy dead. But no matter how I think about this Judy will never go back to this place, she has left her home and she has her reason for this. Even if she wants to come back, she would just say 'Nick if we do nothing, than they will stay one day even in front of my parents doors. Nobody is safe and nothing will change when we just run away.' and she is right with this. Dumb fox.

But for a short moment I surrender to the illusion and imagine a life in this little town together with Judy in our own burrow. You maybe laugh but I don't care where we live as long as we will be together. I wish I could my eyes close for a little bit longer but reality is knocking or better calling my name. And in this case reality is the little black bunny from before which stands in front of me with a big grin on its face.

"Uncle Nick?"

"Hey champ you're back… wait Uncle Nick? Where do you have that from?"

I have to chuckle about the little bunny.

"Dad said you are aunt Judy's friend, so you are my uncle. Is that wrong?

"No that's right and what is your name lil fluff?"

"Tommy."

"Well hello Tommy, I'm happy to meet you."

I hear him giggle and stretch out my paw to shake his and see how he reacts. Without hesitation he tries to grab my huge paw but his little ones are just too small. So I take mine and pet his head instead which results in even more giggle from him.

"You are a brave little bunny instead of your cousins, I mean I'm a fox, so shouldn't you be frightened?"

"Do I have to?"

"No, I would never try to hurt you but most of you bunnies are afraid of foxes."

"Dad says you have only to fear what you don't know and I know that you are Uncle Nick. So there is nothing to fear."

He ends his sentence and looks to me with a pride grin, I guess for remembering what his father told him. I must really admit that he is cute and I mean even for bunny standards. His main color was black but with the 'typical' Hopps grey on his chest and he has slightly longer fur than a 'normal' Hopps, which seems to come from his mother.

"Can't disagree with your logic. Your dad seems to be a clever bunny."

"Oh, I got something for you uncle Nick!"

And to my surprise he opens a little bag which he seems to carry from the kitchen up to here, it contains a piece of blueberry cake.

"For me?"

"You are hungry and someone who is hungry should eat something."

I must say, this moves me deeply. He don't care who I am, he just wants to help me and I bet he would do this to every other mammal. The world needs more mammals like him but unfortunately are those good ones in the end the victims of those who wants to fulfil just their selfish needs. I should keep an eye on him, just in case but hopefully nothing happens to him… somehow I don't know why, I like him.

"And with that my little fluffy friend you are instantly in my personal chart of my favorite Hopps of all time on position number two. So thank you very much for your attention."

I try at first just a little bit and must say this blueberries are delicious as ever but after this one bite I can't control myself and eat the whole piece of pie in two more bites. Tommy is watching my doing happily with a little smile on his face and I see that he is waiting for me to finish.

"Uncle Nick?"

"Yes Tommy?"

"Who is your number one?"

"On my list?"

"Mmhmmm."

"That is your aunt Judy my little friend."

"Do you love her?"

And there it is this chain of question most of young mammals ask, if they are interested enough in the world and how everything works, that is so cute it let me almost forget my statement to Judy's parents from before.

"Oh more than anything else in the whole wide world."

"Even more than blueberries?"

"Yes even more than blueberries."

He nods to my reply and is doing as if he would understand completely what we are talking about. Well maybe he does better than some adults…

"Well I would go so far to say, that I love her even more than my own live."

His eyes widen and he looks to me with an impressed gaze.

"Woh that is a lot. Uncle Nick, if you love her so much than you want to marry her?"

A laugh is my first reply to the little bunny and he looks a bit sceptical but I get myself back under control.

"Listen Tommy, the next thing I tell you is a secret just between the two of us, okay?"

Tommy's eyes widen again and he is coming a bit closer to me but his ears pointing directly at the sky ready for the news.

"Of course I will marry her and do you know what, when the time comes than you will be my best man. Do you know what a best man is?"

The little bunny is shaking eagerly with his little head and I can see how much he wants to hear the answer.

"The best men is very important, he is the one who carries the wedding rings and hands them over as soon as they are needed. And I think you are the perfect mammal for this job, so what do you think?"

"Yes, yes I can do that."

"But it is a secret, so you have to keep it for me, okay?"

"Yes, yes I promise!"

I hold my little finger up to him and he understands instantly what he has to do. Smiling, he grabs my finger with his complete paw and shake it as if I promise him to buy a car when he's a grown up.

"So what do you say Tommy do you wanna hear a song as a reward for bringing me this delicious pie?"

"Really you can play? That is so cool. Dad listen to guitar music a lot."

"Well then your dad is not just a clever bunny but also one with a good music taste. Do you like it?"

"Most of it but not all."

"I know what you mean, it's the same with me. But I guarantee you that you love the next song."

I take my old acoustic guitar and stand myself on the oak tree stump to have a little bit more room for my play. Tommy follows me and watches every step I take, up to the improvised stage. He makes himself comfortable in a tailored seat position right in front of the stage, I can almost feel his anticipation up here… well we are basically just some feet away from each other but who cares concert is concert and there is every time a distance between artist and crowd.

" _In the dark there's light_

 _Coming from your windows_

 _You forget the night_

 _And chase away the shadows…"_

I stop my play and with it the smile on Tommy's face dies instantly. He looks very confused at me and I can't blame him, I mean I promised a song and stop after 4 lines? No he will get the whole song but for now the bunnies behind the tree need a little push to join us. At least I can see two little tails wiggle to the music, but there have to be more...I can smell at minimum fifteen of them.

"I can assure you bunnies behind the tree, that I will not do you anything okay? I'm Judy's friend and just here to visit you. And if you don't believe me that's okay but you can believe Tommy over here, right buddy?"

It seems Tommy is a little bit hurt in his pride for his scared relatives, without waiting for a reply he stands up and runs around the huge oak tree and disappears for a while. I can just hear muffled whispering and chuckle about the small black bunny who tell the whole crowd off. It takes Tommy not more than 2 minutes and he returns to me with a big grin on his face, after him are walking slowly and cautious a group of over 25 bunnies. I keep my place and smile at the little crowd wandering to the tree trunks. To my surprise are they not going to sit down, no they are walking directly to me. A whole group of 27 bunnies is now standing in front of me and looking to the ground, seemingly ashamed about their behaviour. The head of the group is a nine year old bunny girl, she has some resemblance to Judy but not too much. She looks up to me and is holding her left arm with her right paw, obviously she is embarrassed to be the one to talk to me. She lifts her head and there they are those huge puppy eyes I know from Judy just to good and boy even if it just her little sister I can't be mad at her.

"Please Mr. Fox we are sorry for…"

"It is okay, you don't need to worry about that and besides, you can say Nick to me like everyone else, okay?"

She is still sceptical about me, oh man that will be a lot of work here.

"Oh okay and you are here because…?"

"...because your sister Judy, my girlfriend, wants to present her family to me."

"Really? Oh gosh Judy is so brave, to date a fox… sorry."

Before she even ends her sentence she already put her little paws over her muzzle. But besides all that I don't stop to smile. I know that prejudice not just disappear, it has to be dismantled piece by piece and is not something that just magically goes away and everybody can be happy for the end of their lifes. It is a process and boy it is a very, very long one and without Judy I would not know that.

"I'm sorry uncle Nick..."

"What is your name young fluff?"

"My name is Laura."

"Don't worry Laura and basically I'm not your uncle but I think with the difference in our age, it should be more than okay to call me that. And besides that, you say Judy is the brave in our relationship but in reality it is me and do you know why?"

The bunnies that are standing in front of me shaking all with their heads and waiting for a little story. I grin to myself and think I got them, now I need just my old self.

"You know two weeks ago, I was calling Judy on her phone. She was still on duty and had just moments before I called, captured a criminal. And do you know what is was?"

Most of the bunnies just stand there and wait for the answer with their mouths open but some want to guess the right mammal, like Tommy or Laura.

"A badger!"

"Not quite Tommy. Bigger!"

An amazed murmur goes through the rows of bunnies, followed by chattering about their brave and strong sister. It is now that I realise that the number of bunnies standing in front of my is constantly growing. By now there must be at least fifty or more of them...their ability to multiply in any situation is really astounding. Laura is the next one who tries to answer my question.

"A wolf."

"Sadly no, the mammal she caught was faster than a wolf! But I give you one more chance my little bunny friends… so choose wisely."

And again the whole crowd begins to chatter like crazy. One little bunny turns himself to me and asks.

"Uncle Nick, was it a predator or a prey?"

"Ah you want a hint, okay let's make it easier. It was definitely a predator."

All bunnies are now together in a huge fluffy pile and in the middle stands Tommy to coordinate the whole structure with answers and suggestions. During their debate I sit myself on the edge of the old oak and start to tune my guitar, waiting for the bunnies to make a collective suggestion. It took them almost 10 minutes to find a mammal that her sister may have caught in the name of justice.

I recognize that also some older bunnies found their way to the antic tree and that they watch carefully my behaviour with the little ones. Who can blame them? I mean for all here I am a complete stranger, who plays with their siblings and children and Judy is not with me. And just now even Jessica is joining the crowd, to be exactly she places herself to a black female bunny with longer fur and at her side a male bunny with a smile on his face. I assume for myself that this must be Tommy's parents. The three start instantly to talk about something and it is just a suggestion but I think it is about me. I mean what can be a bigger topic as a bunny daughter that brings a son in law back home, which is a fox and a complete stranger? Try to beat this…

I stand up and place myself in the middle of the old stump to draw the attention of the bunnies to me.

"So small fluffs do you made a decision?"

Again it was Tommy who stuck his head out of the fluff pile.

"NO! Not yet! We need more time!"

"Fine."

I smile and exhale deeply. It is Jimmy who speaks at first to me.

"They can be a bunch, right?"

"Harder to control than a bundle of fleas."

"Yeah, whom you telling."

I turn myself to Jimmy and stretch my paw to him, to greet him properly.

"Nicholas Wilde, but you can all say Nick to me. And I bet you are Jimmy, one of Judy's brothers and this beautiful black bunny there is your wife Cathy besides this annoying bunny which looks an awful lot like my bunny, which is currently debating with your parents what should happen to me."

The reaction is as always immediately. Jess is sticking her tongue out but keeps her smile, Cathy hides her face behind her now red ears but Jimmy keeps up shaking my paw and smiles at me.

"Like Judy told me, a tongue made out of silver. Let's see if the rest is also true."

"Oh believe me, somewhere in me you can find for sure a piece of gold, you just have to dig along time for that, you can ask your sister. I don't know what she found but at least to her it seems valuable."

We both stand there and grin like stupid teenagers at each other and I think we would still stand if Jess has not interrupt us.

"Oh come on you two, get yourself a room."

"Jess…"

Cathy still hides her face behind her ears and it is clear why, they are the only places that can take on the color pink...

"Cathy you have to be more self confident. Look at Nick, he came with Judy to the burrow stands himself in front of mum and dad and says…"

I have to intervene but I know it is meaningless, she will tell this story no matter what.

"You really need to tell this? The moment I hit rock bottom in front of your parents? Thanks Jess…"

She just grins at me and continues with her little story.

"You're welcome Nick. Anyhow Mom and dad stand in front of our two lovebirds and of course Judy tried to explain the situation. But short after our sister finished Nick steps in front to shake paws with them. And then he looked at them and said 'Mr and Mrs Hopps I'm a huge fan of your work.'."

I could just stare at her with tired gaze and think the whole time that hopefully, she will never become friends with my sister. That will be truly the most devilish combination I can imagine. A vixen and a female bunny playing tricks against me, I don't even want to imagine something like that. Jimmy is turning himself to his sister, also with a big grin.

"And then?"

But I start to speak before Jess, I don't want to give her the triumph to bring the punchline.

"Then I nodded with my head in Judy's direction and Jess started hysterically to laugh, your parents were stunned and Judy facepalmed herself. I don't know what you would call it but for me it was a perfect first meeting to explain who is the idiot in this relationship. Small hint for you guys, it is not Judy…"

"You stole the payoff! I wanted to say that you are an idiot. Ahh thanks Nick."

I reply to Jessica with a big grin on my muzzle, I must say I like those little arguments, remind me of myself and Judy but the ones with my bunny are way better.

"Your welcome Jess."

I'm still in my talk with the three as I feel that something is pulling on my pants and to my luck it is Tommy.

"So champ, you have found your answer?"

"We think so Uncle Nick."

"Uncle Nick gave you all a riddle to solve?"

"Yes dad and we guessed two times wrong already."

"What did you asked Nick?"

As soon I'm standing on the stage again, getting my guitar, I turn myself to Jimmy and smile to him.

"I asked them what for a mammal Judy caught the last time she was on duty in the streets of Zootopia. And they said badger and wolf, well and I had to say sorry the mammal is bigger and faster."

"Oh come on bigger and faster than a wolf? You know she is still a bunny right?"

I feel how my smile slowly transforms into a big grin. Judy has no one here told about her work, what is she so afraid of? I know I shouldn't do this but fuck it, what can probably happen?

"You have no idea to what your sister's capable of right?"

Jimmy still smiles but I can see he is now a little bit insecure about Judy and what she tells about her work. He looks over to Jess to confirm his thoughts but she is also just sitting there and shrugs her shoulders.

"Well I think… a little bit self defense and a bit shooting?"

"Listen and I think you will be a little bit surprised about your sister."

Finally I'm back at the stage and look the huge crowd of fluff, that is in front of me. A lot of them trembling in anticipation about the things I can tell them about her big hero-like sister. The number of bunnies is still rising around the oak tree but most of them are under the age of ten. The only adult bunnies are still Jimmy, Cathy and Jessica. And sadly still no sign of my bunny, as I turn quick to the huge burrow which resembles more a mountain than a house.

"So bunnies what is your final answer to my question?"

With pride in his gaze, Tommy stand up to me and starts to speak.

"We say it was a cheetah!"

I try to act as uninterested as possible and tune my guitar during my little speak.

"A cheetah heh? So you think a bunny one eighth the size of a cheetah can outrun it, corner it in a street with a dead end, trick it and and kick it unconscious to arrest it for it's crimes?"

Some of the bunnies are not longer so sure if their answer is correct but Tommy still stands in front of me with proudly swollen chest. He has no doubt about his answer, I must say like this little ball of fluff from minute to minute more. Jimmy can still not believe what I'm telling.

"Come on Nick she IS still a bunny."

I am still grining, this whole thing is to delicious.

"Sorry Jimmy but your son is right. Judy did all this and additional to this she was alone. The other cops just delivered the robber to the precinct 1. Still not on my side of the story?"

"What? No! I mean she is a bunny. That is pretty crazy stuff you are trying to sell me."

"Okay, okay I tell you all a story I witnessed personally. And this is about the first hour of self defense training and if you believe it or not Judy is our trainer."

I inhale deeply and lean onto my guitar, taking a quick look around the crowd. They are all quiet and looking up to me.

"On this day I was her first victim but be sure I was not her last. I think you can all imagine that she can take me down with 2 fast grabs and pin me down to the floor."

Jess shouts from the first row up to me and I should have know that she is the type who likes to interrupt, I mean I am myself am the guy who likes to interrupt other.

"Uuh bedroom confessions Mr Wilde?"

"No Jess just... why am I even trying to argue with you? Anyhow now comes the interesting part, she also took down a jaguar who disrespected her for being a bunny. And when we all knew one thing than that Judy hates it to be underestimated. So she took him not one time down, no she took him also a second time down and one thing is for sure this jaguar will so fast not take a bunny lightly. And this was a fair one on one trainings fight that made clear that height, weight and strength not every time make you a winner."

All bunnies are nodding in silent agreement. Jimmy, Jess and Cathy are still perplex about the story I told them but I think they are old enough to work it out. I mean they can ask her sister personally and see that it is all true.

"But I think it is finally time for the song I promised Tommy and of course is everybody welcome to join and sing with…"

Again little Tommy stand in front of me and pulls at my pants. Let's see how I can help my small bunny friend.

"Uncle Nick, can I sit on your shoulder?"

"Of course you can little fluff but I don't know what your mum and dad think about it, wait let's see…"

I look over to Jimmy who heard the request and nods at me with a smile. So I take his son and put him down on my head, where he giggles at first and then climb over to my neck. He is not heavy, I almost can't recognize him and his weight but I can feel how his tiny paws hold on to my fur. Okay Nick keep in mind you have a bunny on your shoulders, don't overdo it.

"So bunnies, I think we will begin with something for everyone, the song is called 'Club of optimistic people' and I know you love it because I love it and to be honest this song is so heartwarming, you can't say no to it."

The song is one of my favorites and honestly I have never played it and find someone who doesn't like it. It is one of those happy songs that you can play every time and it will always fit in. Okay maybe not on a funeral...

The sun is slowly setting to the horizon and there is still no sign of Judy. Well maybe I have to go on full entertainer mode till she is ready negotiating a good deal for my head. I think till now there are all smaller bunnies gathered around the old oak tree and dancing to my song. But there are also more and more older bunnies, which come from their work on the fields and their daily jobs. By now I can count about 200 of them. So I end this song and start another little introduction of myself

"Hello new arrived bunnies. Before you ask yourself, who is this handsome fox on the old oak tree, which is playing and singing for you, a little introduction from my site. My name is Nick Wilde and I'm Judy's boyfriend, so if you have any questions you are welcome to ask. Oh and I also like to take on song wishes from you."

A little rumor goes through the bunny crowd and I can already see the first questions coming up to me. Okay Nick you will survive this, don't forget you do this for Judy...

"You are Judy's boyfriend?"

"Yes."

"A fox?"

"Yes."

"Woh."

"Yes, I know pretty hard stuff. Listen I can understand if you are uncomfortable with a..."

"Are ya a good musician?"

"I...eh yes sure."

"Proof it!"

I'm honest, I'm pretty confused at the moment. They don't care about me being a fox or will this come later? Do I miss something? Do they wait for my performance and judge later if I'm worthy to join the clan? I can't figure them out…

"Proof it!" "Proof it!" "Proof it!" "Proof it!" "Proof it!"

All bunnies big or small begin to shout at me with joy and my confusion rise from second to second. Do they make fun of me? What do they… forget it Nick, go with the flow! Make the best out of it! You are a hustler, do you wanna be scammed by 200 fluff balls? No!

"You want a proof?"

The whole fluffy mass is now in the mood for some songs, I don't know why they not care about my species but at this point I don't care either. I will find it out sooner or later but now is time for music.

"YEAH!"

But not without teasing those bunnies. I really have to admit this could be one of my hidden pleasures, I mean Judy, her family, Jack. Mmh what the old stubborn one is actually doing right now? Maybe shooting some drug lords or something like that...

"So I heard bunnies like to dance? But when I look around myself here I have to say, I can't confirm this theory by now…"

Most of the bunnies are now on there feet, just like expected.

"WHAT?" "You'll see Mr Wilde." "Just play something and we prove you wrong!"

I can just grin at them… so predictable, so bunnylike. Just like Judy...

"Well what a luck that the title of the next song is 'Let's dance to Joy Division'!"

And without further announcements I start this evergreen of mine which I can listen every time to. And boy can those bunnies dance and make a ruckus. Tommy on my head is weaving like crazy with his arms and even Jimmy and Cathy are dancing. Jessica is meanwhile dancing with three of her younger siblings and it don't think of it but it is really a exuberant atmosphere.

"So are you ready for another one?"

"Yeah" "Wuhu" "Another song Uncle Nick!"

"The next one is a classic and should be especially be known to the older ones."

I have not to play many notes till the first start to sing with me, everyone of the older ones knows 'Born to be Wilde' and I also want to make a little fun with my name about this. Because you know...Wilde and so on, ah I think you get the idea.

The song ends and I make a little bow to the applause of the bunnies. But of course I don't forget the little bunny on my neck. Soft and gentle I let him fall into my paw and there it is again this giggling of a little child. I never thought I can enjoy something like that, in the past it was mostly just annoying for me, well how things can change.

"Uncle Nick, uncle Nick another song please. PLEASE."

I reply with a friendly laughter and say to the crowd.

"You greedy bunnies, you seem not to know when to stop heh? But okay you wished for another song, you will get another song."

And as the last song I play, I choose a typical song just for the acoustic guitar. Maybe a little bit sad but with joyful undertone.

"Okay bunnies this the last song from my imaginary list, I made up just seconds after you wanted me to proof myself. Which I totally did by the way or would you disagree?"

"No!" "Sing on." "More songs uncle Nick."

"I knew we are on the same page with that. The name of the last song is 'The years gone by', I hope you enjoy it."

I can feel how the whole crowd gets slowly calmer and calmer. Exactly what I wanted. You can't just stop for bunnies with a fast song, no you need a slower one to calm them down. It would be like cold deprivation for drug addicts, the results are...let's say not good.

"Wuh, okay four great songs but I think you should choose also one, so who wants?"

I look around the bunny crowd but most of them look at each other questioning what can I play next. Tommy is finally the one who helps me finding someone, by leaning to my ear and whispering.

" _Uncle Nick, I think my mum wants to hear a song."_

" _Do you know which?_

" _Yes, the song mum and dad met and kissed for the first time."_

" _Oh, okay. Which one exactly, there are a lot of songs mammals kissed the first time?"_

" _Yeah, but I can just hum it."_

" _No problem, I will recognize it."_

He starts to hum and of course I know it. A little bit difficult to play but no problem for me. But back to Cathy...

He is right the shy Cathy has her arm just a little bit up but it is enough for me to take her wish. Jimmy don't even recognize this because he is talking to Jess. In this moment an idea comes up in my mind...let's spread a little bit romantic in the countryside...

"I think we have a winner!"

The bunnies instantly start to look around and search for the one who wants to make a suggestion.

"Cathy please stand up."

The black bunny stands slowly up but can't look at me. The ground is all she can turn her gaze to, it is okay, I bet she also has her history like all of us. Who knows why she has her problems speaking in such a large crowd. But something happened and that something is Jimmy, he takes her paw and looks up to her, to show that she is not alone.

"Ehm Nick, if it is not too much, it would be great if you can play…"

"Don't say it, your little black bunny already told me everything I need to know. So please come here together with Jimmy and to all other bunny couples which are here at the moment, you are also welcome to join the slow dance."

"He did?"

Cathy stand there for a moment totally stunned but Jimmy take the paw of his wife and goes with her to the stage and so do ten other couples of the Hopps clan. I take myself back and go to the edge of the huge stump. Slowly I start to play the first chords of 'Snow (Hey How)' and I see how Tommy sites smiling at my shoulder looking at his parents, he is maybe small but he is far for his age.

All bunny couples slowly start to move in a tight dancing position from one side of the tree stump to the other. Cathy just smiles and lays her head on Jimmy's chest, I think we choose the right song. But also all mammals around the tree pairing up and starting to dance to the song.

6 minutes of romantic, well maybe not so slow dance but I tried to play it a bit slower and the first things I hear is the paw clapping of three bunnies behind me. The couples on the stage me slowly dissolve and I think some of them will have their fun later on, some of them are even now disappear into the starting night.

Great they can have fun and I have to face my judges or so I thought, come on Nick play it cool. You have the whole family behind you and it seems they like you, somehow. I place my guitar on the stump and walk still with Tommy on my shoulder up to my bunny and her parents. All three are standing on the balcony of the first floor, smiling down at me but say nothing.

"Good evening Miss Hopps, Mrs Hopps and of course Mr Hopps. I wanted to apologize myself for the mental blackout I had during our first meeting and please you can call me Nick like everyone else."

Bonnie starts to speak and to my relief she is talking with a friendly tone to me, my bunny is still leaning on the balcony and smiles down. I don't know how but she did it…

"Okay Nick and don't worry, we are not mad or anything, we were just… let's say surprised…right Stew?"

"Oh yeah totally, didn't expected that."

"And of course you can say Bonnie and Stew to us."

"It will be a pleasure Bonnie."

A minute pass where we just stare at each other and wait for someone to react, Judy looks tired and just stares down.

"Sooo, how do I get you down from there carrots?"

"I don't think that you find the way through the burrow."

"That sounds an awful lot like a bet or are you afraid?"

"Okay slick get me down from here and you get a hug. How does that sounds?"

"Miss Hopps really a hug? I think I can top that bet so listen. I bet I get you down from that balcony without touching you and without entering the burrow and for all that you owe me a kiss. How does THAT sounds?"

Bonnie and Stew switched their smiling gaze from me over to Judy, to see how her daughter reacts. My bunny is not sure what to do and is biting her bottom lip but not in that sexy way, no more in a desperate attempt to find a solution. She knows I'm good at bets. A screw it, I'm the best at bets.

"Fine but just because I can see no aces you could use."

I stretch my paws to show Judy my sleeves. She looks confused and so do her parents.

"Okay let's start, how you can see nothing in this sleeve and also nothing in this. So I would say no aces for me but what do we have here?"

I take the still smiling Tommy from my shoulders and place him in front of me. Judy looks still confused and starts a little bit to giggle.

"Nick, Tommy is not even 6 years old how should he bring me down?"

"Wait up sweetheart, you will see something that even you said is not possible."

I start whispering to Tommy and to work out with him my little battle plan.

" _So Tommy ready to be the general of my personal fluff army?"_

" _Yes uncle Nick."_

" _Good and are you ready to trick aunt Judy a little bit?"_

" _Yes!"_

" _Good now listen, that's the plan… Okay everything understood?"_

" _Yes uncle Nick!"_

"That's my little soldier. Are you ready Judy?"

"Ready for what Nick, I don't see the threat?"

With a big grin I turn around to the rest of the Hopps family, the atmosphere is very jolly. But most of the bunnies listen to the conversation between me, Judy and her parents and of course the bet. And of course most of them looking at me and waiting for my trickery.

"You'll see, carrots."

Another deep breath and the show can begin.

"FLUFF ARMY ASSEMBLE!"

Every last bunny on the whole yard is now looking at me and for some seconds nothing happens. But like a storm that needs some time, I can hear the growling of 150 small bunny feets that run towards the call. And there they are, my personal little fluff army ready to play every trickery I plan. You have to know that they are payed in music and stories but I think I have enough in my head to pay them for years.

Judy mouth is down as I look at her the next time, well just like her parents, Jimmy, Cathy, Jessica and the rest of the Hopps clan. I believe it is something even they have never seen, a fox directing a whole bunny company. But save the thinking for later, now is time for action.

"So Fluff's you know what to do?"

From all sides comes a loud and joyful 'Yes' back to me.

"Good, Tommy you lead the battalion. And bunnies never forget you don't do this for me you do this for fun, play and music! And now get me Judy!"

Again a loud response from all sides.

"YES UNCLE NICK."

Like a huge grey flood following a little black dot the bunnies make their way into the burrow, after one minute they are all in and a strange and tensed up silence lays itself over the yard. Everybody is waiting for the further events that will come. Judy is hectically looking around herself and tries not to be surprised by the coming bunnies.

Another time that shows that Tommy is further ahead in thinking than other bunnies of his age. Judy assumed they will just come through the door to the balcony but that is far from the truth. Some bigger bunnies let their smaller siblings down from the second floor waiting for the right moment. My little black friend is standing on the balustrade almost directly behind Judy, but she doesn't recognize him because of his black fur and the upcoming night.

"NOW!"

The scream of Tommy echoes over the land and four little bunnies jump and grab each a limb of Judy. Her chance to escape is no zero. To my surprise it is Laura the bunny which was so sceptical about me who jumps into Judy's arms to end her self defending. The only that can be heard now is the laughing and giggling of Judy, who is tickled from her little siblings.

"Hahaha s-stop it…. hahaha please….hahaha...that is too much."

"You know what we want to hear Judy, so will you do it?"

"Okay,... hahahaha… I give up…hahahaha… I surrender but please stop…"

I nod to Tommy who gives the signal to the rest of the fluff army, which steps out on the balcony and start to carry the still laughing Judy down. The bunnies behind me can still not believe if this is really happening or if it is just a joke but as soon as they see Judy sitting on a ocean of grey fluff in a tailored seat position coming out of the burrow and in my direction, they know it is true and Judy lost her bet against me.

Judy is still some meters away but I recognize that Tommy is again standing besides me with a big and proud grin on his muzzle. Ready for a little reward. Which he gets, I ruffle his head fur and talk to him.

"Very good Tommy, I know why I choose you as my best man. Your mum looks a little bit frightened, you should show yourself to calm her a little bit down, okay?"

"Yes uncle Nick."

And without a further word is the still grinning bunny on his way to his mother. I almost forget my bunny which stand now surrounded by the whole fluff army and waits for me to finish with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Now to you Miss Hopps. I think you lost a bet?"

She is still smiling at me but I can feel that she is a little bit mad about my trickery.

"Come on slick, get it done."

"What without savour this situation a little bit more? You should know me better."

I turn myself to the bunny crowd and postulate what is going on in my mind.

"Bunnies of the Hopps clan and all related to them, what do you think, do I earned me my price?"

The whole crowd shouts back at me.

"YES!"

And there it comes the cheering of 200 plus bunnies, cheering for a fox to kiss their sister.

"KISS!" "KISS!" "KISS!" "KISS!"

"You hear your family Judy?"

She is smiling over both ears now and take my head between her paws.

"You said I did the miracle but I think you did the even bigger one. And for that my fox, you earned yourself what you wished for."

And without further ado she starts to kiss me. And oh my god it is one of the best kisses she ever gave me long and passionate. The fluff army around us started to giggle and to dissolve from their formation. Some whoops here and there can be heard but I don't care, I'm happy again that everything worked out relatively good.

We take our time and after 5 minutes we decide to end our little love session. We don't even recognize that Bonnie and Stew pass us and join the bunnies on the stump.

"I think your parents and the rest of your family is waiting for us."

"Mhmm maybe later more."

"As you wish mylady."

But as we start to walk towards the rest of the bunch, I receive a call on my phone. Wow so those work here outside in nowhere land, impressive. I can't say from whom but I will soon find out.

"Carrots, I will soon follow but I have to clear this call."

"Sure Nick, take your time. I will save you a seat."

"That's my bunny."

"And just yours, don't forget it."

She give me a last blink over her shoulder and walks slowly in direction of the other bunnies.

And now to the call, to my surprise it is badger. I thought it could be Pati or Stella but badger? Let's see what he needs, maybe Finnick is back in the hood.

"Hey there buddy, how are you? Fine I hope…"

"Nick we need your h-help, it is really urgent."

"Wowowo what happened?"

"Finnick he… he got stabbed."

"What?! How?"

"He tried to sell the old stuff you two still had and we were going to the wrong mammals. Nick he is bleeding like crazy and I don't know what to do… and I know what he said to you the last time, it wasn't fair but, but to let him die like this… I don't know. Please help…"

I have to exhale deeply and can feel how this old and dark mood I had a long time ago slowly creeps back into my mind. But I try to keep it out and think of Judy instead.

"Listen badger, I can't do anything for him…"

"Nick how can you…"

"But I will call Pati and send her over, she can treat him, okay?"

"Thank you Nick, thank you, thank you, thank you. I will be ready for her."

"And just as an info, she will come with a friend. Okay, no snitch, no spy, just a friend of mine from the academy."

"Nick I never thought you would sell us to the cops. You know Finnick, he is…"

"Special I know, listen I have to call Pati, so be prepared for her. And be prepared she will be pissed. So by."

I hang up, just to call in the next second the number of my sister. The day is getting crazier and crazier.

"Hey Pati, how's your day with Stella?"

"Hey Nicky, Stella and me at the speaker, what's up booooy?"

"Hey Nick, your back to normal?"

"Yeah pretty much and it seems like I have a good run with the bunnies, they also seem to like me...but that's not the reason I'm calling. Pati you have to do me a favour."

"Oh do you need my charming attitude or more my refreshing beauty."

"This time none of those sister heart, I need your medical abilities."

"Oh oh is Judy hurt? Oh no, did you hurt Judy? Nick I swear to all existing blueberries, I find you and then…"

"What? No, why should I do that? Are you nuts? No Badger called me moments ago. Finnick is hurt, he got stabbed."

A moment of silence and I know why, she is fighting with herself. The relationship between Pati and Finnick was never the best but she would do it for me, at least I hope so.

"Nick…"

"Pati I wouldn't ask, if it is not urgent. He is bleeding badly and I know you can fix him. Look if I weren't here I would try to help him myself, you know that. And we both know he was not nice to me but screw it, he is my oldest friend and you know I wouldn't ask for anybody."

"It's okay Nick, I do it but this time you owe me and brother you owe me big."

"Thanks Pati, I know he is in good paws when you are there."

I can hear a short chuckle.

"Oh come on, save the sweet talk for Judy and her family. I want to celebrate Christmas this year in a burrow with everyone so be a nice big bro and do that for me will ya?"

"Christmas? Does mum know about this?"

"Ha she even has the menu ready for the big day and the bunnies but enough of that. I have to visit a little bad fox, you're helping me right Stella?"

"I think yes but I have to get my train later on."

"Pfff train, don't worry you can sleep in my apartment. Bye Nick"

"W-what you're a-apart…"

Tuut, tuut, tuut

And I was left alone with silence and the thoughts about Finnick, he was an asshole to me the last time but he is still my friend. Something like this doesn't dies so fast, I mean all this year's…

And poor Stella, I hope Pati goes easy on her.

My thoughts still circle around the talk from just moments ago. I know he could have no better doctor but still, how can something like that happen? I need to talk to Badger but later. Now I have to come down and be with my bunny.

I inhale slow and deep and walk over to the tree stump. Everything is fine Nick, Pati is one of the best, Finnick will not die. He will not, he is way too stubborn to do so.

Of course she has saved me a seat besides her.

"Do you mind Ms Hopps?"

"Oh not in the slightest Mr Wilde. Everything okay with the call?"

"More or less, I'll tell you later."

"Mhmm…"

"You look incredible tired carrots."

"Too many thoughts in the night about this day and I couldn't sleep at all."

To our both surprise Jess is standing directly behind her sister and whisper into her ears but of course loud enough, so I can hear it as well.

"Are you sure it was the thoughts that keep you awake and not a certain fox?"

"Oh shush you."

"I can see you blush sister, so I think I'm right. And what do you have to say to your defense Mr Wilde?"

"Jealous?"

"Nick!"

"What? She asked for it."

I know Judy isn't really mad at me, I mean I can see her still smiling and this is all I need to know. The other bunnies around us are chatting and having a good time, right now Bonnie and Stew are joining the loud and joyful crowd. But in an instant it will all go down because of the question of one innocent bunny.

"Uncle Nick?"

"Yes, little fluff ball."

"Hihi, ehm...I have a question to you Uncle Nick."

"Ask me and I will give you the best answer that there is, well at least I will try."

"Pop pop said foxes are red because they are made by the devil, is that true?"

The whole crowd becomes silent. Judy and I are at first a little bit shocked about the little bunny girl and what she say to me but I know old habits die hard and so I think about something better I can tell them, a story that is more for their little ears and heads.

"Don't you know that there are all different kind of foxes in the world? No? You don't know that there are foxes white as the snow or foxes small and golden like the sun? So you want to tell me that you don't know the story, how the foxes of this world came to their colors?"

All little bunnies, which must be about 100 of them, watching me with big eyes shaking their heads and waiting with anticipation, I know this behaviour by now just from Judy but it seems to be normal for a bunny to be like this. I must say they are more than adorable, maybe one day we can have some of our own, well if we are lucky. All their bigger brothers and sisters sitting around smiling but getting quiet like their smaller counterparts. You can easily say I have an audience of over 200 hundred bunnies around me listening to a story about foxes, well doesn't happen to me everyday.

"You have to know In ancient times all foxes were grey and sad because the world around them was so colorful and pretty that they wanted to be part of it. So the bravest, funniest, smartest and smallest foxes wandered together through the world over travelling rivers that were so wide and deep that you could only see the black deeps of it, through deep woods with leafs and flowers of all colors, shapes and sizes, over snowy mountains with so much white that they build tunnels to find a way through and of course hot and sandy deserts as far as their eyes could see."

I made a quick look around the fluffarmy to increase the tension.

"And do you know where they wanted to go?"

And almost synchronized, a hundred bunnies shaking their heads like a flower field moved by the wind in different directions. You couldn't do anything else but smiling when you see this little sweethearts.

"They searched for something, for a very special place. And this place was where the sun starts every morning their path around the world. Because the smart, brave, funny and small foxes know that the sun contains all the colors around us but at first they had to ask the sun if she wants to share with them because you can't take what isn't yours, right bunnies?"

A wave of nodding and agreeing mumbling wanders through the rows. I tried to gesture a lot, to make it even more colorful and by now I saw that all bunnies around went quiet and even the big ones around Judy's age are hung on my lips.

"One day they finally arrived in the valley where the sun starts it day. But it was already evening and so they waited the whole night for the sun to appear and fulfil their wishes they had deep in their hearts. And as the sun finally arrived all the foxes started to dance and celebrate like crazy because they saw that they finally arrived at their aime."

"The sun was so happy about the company she had, that she said: 'Oh you foxes, I thank you for banishing the loneliness at this morning. Ask me for anything and I will try and help you as good as I can'. And so the first and bravest fox started: 'I wish I could be as black as the deepest part of the river we came across.' and the sun answered 'Look, you be it.' and he was it. The second and smartest fox came along and said: 'I wish I could be as white as the snow we saw on the mountains' and again the sun said: 'Look you be it.' and he was it. The funniest fox was the third one in the row and he said: 'I want to be as red as the leaves in the autumn woods' and the sun said: 'Look you be it.' and he was it. The last one was the small fox and he spoke to the sun: 'I wish to be as golden as the sand in the desert we came across.' and for a last time the sun said: 'Look you be it' and he was it. And with this all foxes returned to the places they liked most on their journey."

I inhaled and closed my eyes almost completely, just a little slit remained to watch the little bunnies. They were almost on the edge of a little riot because they didn't know if this was the end or if their was more to it.

"So what do you think little bunnies, is this the end of the story?"

A huge uproar began between the bunnies and a discussion that could keep them busy for the next weeks and maybe even longer. I chuckled loudly about the little mayhem they produced and started again.

"Of course this was not the end of the story. Because from time to time the foxes visit their friends from their journey to the sun. And how life plays some of them from different colors fall in love with each other. And so even more colored foxes came to the world and made them even more colorful and interesting. And do you know why that was possible?"

I looked to my right where Judy sat, leaning against my shoulder, her beautiful purple eyes watching everything I say, together with a smile, that encourages me to finish the story I began. With a smile on my muzzle I took her paw into mine and began with the last part.

"Because in those ancient times there was no mammal society, there were no unwritten rules you had to follow and there was no restriction who you are allowed to love. Because the foxes know that love doesn't decide on logic, species, shape, heights, color or other criteria. When love falls to you, you can't choose, you can't runaway from it and you can't hide it from yourself. You will sit there and think that everything is alright and at the same time completely wrong. You think that this person is the most annoying and at the same time the most charming one in the whole world but you also must be together with her because you just know that it is right thing to do and you don't know what you would do without her. There are no more 'what ifs', you just know that you would do everything for that person without hesitation and without ulterior motives. Because you love them and this unconditionally. "

Silence is all that remains, no one tries to speak, laugh, cry or make any other sound. I look around me and see the faces of bunnies full with love, acceptance and friendship. There is no more prejudice or other negative things and I think this is the moment where I found a complete family. Not one just made of foxes, bunnies or whatever. No, one made of everyone who wants to participate in this great thing. Oh man I think even I get now a little emotionally…

But before I even have the time to get teary, Stew breaks the silence with his typical,let's call it 'Bunny Burrow charme'...

"Oh boy, here comes the waterworks."

"Stew, get ahold of yourself."

The head of the family can't hold his tears back and also some other of the older bunnies, mostly in Judy's age, getting a little bit teary. Bonnie tries with a smile to console her husband but it seems not to work.

"Oh you bunnies, always so emotional."

My gaze wandered from the bunnies in front of me down to my own little lucky charm and saw that she also wiped a single tear from her eyes.

"What carrots, you to?"

"I'm sorry Nick, but this was a beautiful story and especially the end got me. From where do you know this?"

I wrapped my right arm around her and started to grin like my old hustler self.

"Carrots, we foxes can't tell you every secret we have, that would be our downfall. But because it's you I will make an exception. So sharpen your ears and I will tell you."

Her left ear went up, as soon as my nose touched her fur and whispered her the answer to the question. But I also saw multiple dozen of bunny ears go straight up as soon as I started to whisper. Sneaky little bunnies...

" _I just made it up."_

Judy's face became rigid and I gave her a quick kiss between the ears. A lot of bunnies begin to giggle and I bet they nether saw a fox kissing a bunny, again. Well it was just on her head but…

"After this beautiful story from Nick, I think we are all ready for lunch or are there any objections?"

"NO mum!"

"Good Judy, Jessica, Jane, Jacqueline and Janet, you five will help with the tables and the decoration. All other female bunnies, come with me preparing the food."

There is not one bunny who disagrees with Bonnie and I can imagine who really is the head of this clan. And for a second time on this day I can just watch how my bunny is walking away from me, waving a last time with her paw before two other bunnies in her age are taking her into custody, childishly giggling.

My attention is drawn back to Jimmy,who is standing in front of me with his son in his arms and both with a smile on their face. This one seems to run in the family…

"Come on Nick, time to show you the burrow and teach you something about bunnies. You will be surprised how big our homes can be."

We three stand up and I take my bag and the guitar. Tommy is running behind the other small bunnies, ready to play with them again.

"Let me guess, what I see is just a small part?"

"Almost, I would say you can see 40% of the real burrow, the main part is underground…"

I stand still because how big should this thing be? And what? The main part is not even visible? Now I understand why Judy said I would get lost in there...

"That's a joke right?"

"Was it a joke that Judy has 275 siblings?"

He grins at me and opens a door to the burrow.

"After you Mr Wilde."

"Well let's see who deep this rabbit hole will go."

We both chuckle and enter the darkness of the burrow.

* * *

Club of optimistic people - watch?v=Rd4kIZ…  
Let's dance to Joy division - watch?v=CUvJvM…  
Born to be wild - watch?v=Bhiw_H…  
Donots - watch?v=4yx-_h…  
RHCP - watch?v=Kvlqcl…


	13. Not What I Expected

**13\. Not What I Expected**

 **Stella**

Why did I say yes to him? I could have stay at the academy with Nate and El and have a more or less lazy weekend, depending on Trevor's mood and behavior but no good old Stella has to say yes to this damned fox. And my thoughts still circle around the things I want to say to him right now but I can't because he has his own problems to solve and because he his multiple hundred miles away...

'Yeah sure Nick, why not. Show me the town by one of your old love affairs. Oh yes and when we have time left maybe she and I can talk about my problems which I shared to this moment with nobody!'

The conversation on the roof with him is also stuck in my head. The other mammals in the train see just a calm polar vixen looking out of the window but internal my thoughts are going crazy, too much of them in way too fast loop. And all I can see is the fox with his guitar and how he tries to talk me into this day off from the academy.

...

"Believe me she can help you."

"Why can't I talk to Judy about this?"

"Of course you can but I don't think that Judy is the right mammal for this…"

"No? Why? Because she would judge me for that ?! Because she could no longer look me in the eyes and just feel pity for me?"

"Easy Stella and no this is just not the way she handles problems. As soon as she knows she will try to go there and wipe the floor with them. You saw what she did to Anthony and I think because of that you can imagine what happens when she is really angry."

"But I don't know the mammal you send me to…"

"That's why I said believe me, I know her for a long time. She would never turn someone down who needs help."

"Okay, okay I give it a try but just if you finally shut up about it?"

"Now we're talking!"

...

And that just because he thinks I need his help…

Okay maybe I do, the nightmares are back and so is my lack of appetite and sleeplessness. At least I'm happy about Trevor who finally leaves me alone. I have to thank Judy for this but properly when I see her the next time, maybe I can buy something for her in the city, maybe something with carrots. Come on Stella just because she is a bunny doesn't mean everything has to be in a carrot theme for her.

One night in a different environment is maybe good for me and the boys. They would never admit it but they have also a lack of sleep, especially Nick. That is the reason he is so down today, I shouldn't make fun about him earlier on our way to the train. I wish I wouldn't be such a burden for them, damned maybe Nick is right. But how can I do this without knowing her? I should try to keep calm and get to know her… maybe she is even nice?

Pffft - pffft

The vibration of my phone brings me back into reality. It is from Judy… the picture of her...

She is pretty, well at least that's what I would say, maybe even beautiful but for this I need to see her personally. A friendly face but she looks nothing like someone who would date Nick…

Maybe you could date her? - Shut up brain, I don't even know her...

Judy is writing something…

"Hi Stella, the fox you can see on the photo is Patricia but please call her Patty! I bet you two will get along fine."

"Okay sounds good but is there something else I need to know?"

"Yes, be prepared she is a little bit special..."

"Special? What kind of special?"

"Don't worry nothing bad, you will see soon ;)"

Why can't that bring me down? Oh yes right I want it quiet and easy and not special, whatever that means. But too late, the huge skyscrapers can already be seen in the distance and with every minute I come closer to the town rises my strain, up to the point where I wonder if I really doing the right thing. Maybe one of those little office jobs is more my thing or somewhere in a small bibliothek.

The train passes the hot and sandy zones of Sahara square, where I really have to admire the huge palm springs hotel. One day I will go there alone or not but this thing is really keeping my interest, I mean it is a building but in the shape of a palm, how is that even possible?

But as soon as we enter Tundra town, I can feel how the old feelings of the past are coming back, the ones where you still have your blanket over your body and you look out of the window into the cold, windy world and it says 'Stay in. There is nothing for you to win today'.

But besides all that ice and snow, I can see a red van, why I mention that? Because I never saw in my life such a noticeable car. If you could see it complete in red but the door for the driver must be replaced by a black one and the best of all on both sides is a huge painting of a wolf warrior who carries a female wolf with lighting in the background. I try to follow the van as long as I can with my gaze, but after some time it vanish behind a huge building… those things wake my interest, I mean who drives it, why and what is their aim? But in the end it is one of the many stories I will never know in my life.

I must say it really hits me when we enter the rainforest district, the huge trees, all the green in here and the dimmed light. Yes I was in Zootopia before but, when you come from the north the railway goes through the western districts of Zootopia which are the Evernight Lakes, Midnight Cliffs and Nocturnal City. From there you enter directly into Savannah Central and reach the main railway station, so you can say I finally saw the rest of the city...okay some districts still missing like the Canal districts, Tower Islands, Outback Islands, Torn Ravines, Riverway Chasms, East Canyonland...oh and I almost forget the Meadowlands. A lot of districts and don't forget the city is still expanding, but who wonders about that much especially by a population of 50 million mammals and it is still growing.

The train slowly enters the main district of Zootopia with it many high buildings, parks, streets and even more mammals walking, talking and living their life's. All of this has to be protected and soon I will be one of those who is responsible for that but is that really what I want or is this just a reaction of my past?

I exhale deeply and stand up to leave the train, like always I am sitting in the last part. Standing at the entrance I hear the last announcement of the train staff.

"Next stop Zootopia Main station, the train is ending here. We welcome you in Zootopia and wish you a nice day in the name of the Zootopia Railroad Company."

The train stands and I can finally leave it to step into the huge hall with so much mammals and such a wide variety of them, how I never see it in my life before. Most of them are traveling with their families but there are also couples, groups of young mammals and other travellers around. All in all I would say it will be an eventful day for a lot of mammals in this city, I mean sunny with almost no clouds in the sky. I try to ban my bad thoughts but like ever when I want to concentrate on something that could turn out good, shit happens.

And this shit comes in form of 3 vixen that leave from the first compartment of the train, giggling, chatting and like I know now gossiping about their surroundings. I could just mumble to myself.

"That's not true, why they…"

I followed the Darlia sisters to look what they are up to, I know it is nothing good but better check it, maybe somebody needs my help.

Woah Stella, already thinking like a cop? Shut up brain…

They are walking right into the main hall of the station, the typical place where you can find a lot of shops and the things you need for a stay or a longer journey. But after some time they disappear, probably using the restrooms. Maybe there is a little bit of luck for me today.

And there she stands leaning at a palm tree in this place made out of marble, steel and glass. Surrounded by flowers, trees and other colorful plants. Everyone can see in the first second that something on her is different, she is wearing a skyblue 50s dress with a typical petticoat and a lot of sunflowers as a pattern on it. On top of that she wears a straw hat, which she obviously has customized so that her ears are pointing out. But what is the most outstanding about her is the smile, not like the ironic grin Nick often uses, no it is as if she has no sorrows or fears, she just stand there in the bright daylight and enjoys everything that happens around her.

I need some minutes to recognize that I'm still staring at her and my heart is beating like crazy. Why has this to happen here and with her? Nick's ex really?

Cut it out! Think about a way to properly say Hello!

Hello my name is Stella… - No

Hi, Stella… - oh jeez no

Hello Patricia, my name is…

"STELLAAA!"

But before I can finish my thoughts, I hear someone shouting my name through the entire hall and of course every mammal in the near is turning their eyes to the source of the noise. It is Patricia who is running right up to me with a big and childish grin on her face. I thought she will stop some meters before me but no she runs right into me and gives me a big hug to welcome me. She is a little bit smaller than me and with that she puts her head right on my shoulder.

Oh my god, why does she has to smell so good… and why doesn't it bother me that she hugs me for that long… I couldn't even endure the hug from Judy some days ago. It doesn't matter just try to play cool.

When I compare our cloth I must say I feel a little bit underdressed with my jeans and my old black raccoons band shirt.

"Hi, ehm I'm sorry if I know you would dress up with some fancy clothes, I would also dress better…"

She's still buried into my shoulder and I can feel the unpleasant looks of the other mammals, which walk around us.

"Don't worry I like the band… and your cloth…and you smell so good…"

Again a hip-hip-hurray for my thick white fur. I can slowly understand what Judy meant when she said Patricia is special, something like that never happened to me before or better someone. But I like it, if I'm up to decide she can stay like this.

And right when I rethink it will be a good day, shit happens right again.

"Well, well those two freaks are really made for each other or what do you think sisters?"

Leila, the head of the Darlia sisters speaks like ever in her scornful voice to us. But Patricia doesn't even blink with her eye, she give me a last smile and turns herself to the three vixen.

"Leila, Cathy and of course Mona. How are you doing? I hope good?"

For a short moment I think she makes fun of the three vixen or acts but no… she has no grudge against them and that despite the fact that she also seems to know them.

"Arrogant like ever right Patricia? Well not like this differ you any from your brother..."

She has a brother?

"Oh come on Leila, the day is too good to be so grumpy."

"I'M NOT GRUMPY!"

And almost singing Patty replies to her.

"Ahh you're face tells me something else.."

Without any hesitation Patty pokes Leila into one of her cheeks and blows up her own, so that everything looks even more ridiculous. I chuckle about the spectacle Patty produces.

But Leila is pissed, she slaps Patty's paw away and threatens her with her finger.

"Do you think you can intimidate me with your strange behaviour? But like ever you have not changed at all, still the little strange Patricia like in school. But what can we expect from such a family."

"You almost sound like it is something bad to be strange…"

"Of course it is, try for one moment in your life to be normal. Will ya?"

Patty is still grinning at Leila but like everything till now she behaves not like expected. She just turns around grab me by my paw and walks with me outside of the huge hall. We can still hear Leila scream in the background.

"THAT'S IT? FINE BITCH RUN, LIKE YOU DID IN SCHOOL!"

Patty's only reaction is to hold up her right arm and flip her off. Her smile vanishes not one second from her face. I look a little bit puzzled at her and she seems to see my reaction.

"Don't worry Stella, it is just a too good day to bother yourself with such mammals. Leave her, she throws a tantrum and will eventually be back to normal...maybe or she gets really angry and burns something to the ground. Yeah one of those options…"

We leave the hall and enter in the sunny september day and when I thought inside are a lot of mammals, well you should see the square in front of the station. Everyone seems to enjoy the last warm days of the year and so do I. September in Fairbanks means first snow, ice rain and temperatures below 0 degree celsius, I repeat it for you in september.

We are moving more and more away from the crowded area in front of the station and it seems like Patty tries to get us in direction of the park but all in all she seems to know where we want to go, at least I hope that.

"Are you not angry about her?"

I ask her but she just respond in her carefree way, as if nothing in this world would bother her.

"No, I know her. We were in the same class in Middle School and she was or better is still an annoying little slowpoke. Rules this, rules that, blablabla and then her talk about a pure mammal society, just stupid. She has no view out of the box and what the most terrifying thing is about her - she has no humor."

"Yeah, that is something I already witnessed…so ehm I forgot, my name is..."

Again this seducing grin, is that flirting or is she just teasing me…she is still walking besides me with her arms crossed on her back but like I witnessed till here, that can change at any time and she can throw her arms in the air and just dance on her own… that is how I would evaluate her till now.

"Dummy, I know your name. Nick send me a picture of you and told me a little bit."

"What did he told you?"

"Ehm that you come from the north, had some trouble with the local authorities and that you try to build up a new life in Zootopia."

"Mmhm he is good at summarizing, not more?"

"If you wish, you can tell me more honey."

Honey? Is that just how she is or… what is that? I don't understand her...

"Later, we still have the whole day for us and I think my life was not so interesting till I came here."

"I think that decision is up to me."

Still walking through the park we reach a little bridge without railing and as soon as she sees it, Patty tries to balance on the small edge over the bridge. I must say she is really childish at least for her age but somehow I like that about her, I don't know why maybe because I want to be as carefree as she is but I know that is not possible.

"So you and Nick were a couple in the past? How does it comes that you two are still so close. I mean that is not so normal for..."

Listening to the things I say she reaches the keystone in the middle of the bridge and stops. At first I think something happened. Do I say something wrong? Is that maybe a bad topic? But no she just stands there and starts to laugh as if I tell her the best jokes that ever existed. For minutes she just stand there on the edge of the bridge and laughs. She turned herself to me and I can see that she even has tears in her eyes. Okay, okay what happened now? Did I overlook something? Or can I just not see the punchline? But there it happens, at first I think she is doing another joke but no, she lost her balance. Waving with her arms back and forth, she is trying to regain what she lost only seconds ago.

In the last moment before she falls I can grab her with my both paws by her waist and pull her over to me. Her smile is the only thing I can see while I try to bring her to a solid ground besides me. She is light… not that I thought that she is heavy or anything but that is not something I expected. Okay the whole day is not what I expected.

"Miss Conroy, I never thought you would come so fast so close to me?"

"I-I'm sorry."

I part myself from Patty and take some steps away from her, scratching my neck and we all know that is the international sign, for sorry that was a little bit embarrassing.

"Stella that was a joke, okay? You should know it from my 'EX' Nick."

She chuckles again about the boyfriend thing.

"What is so funny about this?"

"Ah nothing it is just the first time in ever, that this spoof from him actually works."

"Spoof? I don't…"

She stands in front of me and tilt her head to the right side, of course still with her smile on the lips.

"Stella he's my brother, not what you think. He fooled you, okay?"

"But, but he says you two used to sleep in the same bed…"

Again a little chuckle from her.

"Of course dummy, when we were kits. Oh Stella, don't believe everything my brother says."

I'm crushed I have to reorganize my thoughts first. And so we stroll side by side through the park in direction of an exit. Again she seems to know exactly where we two will go.

"So where are we going?"

"Well my tummy is screaming for something to eat, so I would say time for lunch. What do you say?"

"I don't have enough money to buy anything fancy but yes why not?"

"Oh Stella were we go you don't need money to pay, I invite you."

"You are sure that it's okay? I don't want to be seen as someone who just take advantage of you for food and such things..."

She turns around and is standing in front of me with a dead serious face. Without warning she grabs my cheeks, to use my face like a puppet. I think you can guess what comes next, she imitates my voice to show me what I should have said and moves my mouth to her words.

"No Patty, that is no problem. I would love to go something to eat with you and on our way you can show me the city a little bit better. And do you know why? Because I know you don't do that because you pity me. No you do that because we are friends and that is what I like so much…"

I can detach myself from her, my cheeks are burning like hell and oh jeez how can such a small vixen have so much strength in her arms? I maybe look a little bit grumpy at her.

"Okay, okay I get it, sorry...ahh that hurts!"

"Of course it hurts, that is the whole idea behind it, to make something clear to you or force you to something."

"And what do you planned for me? Force or clearance?"

She comes very close to me and give me one of her seductive smiles.

"That depends…"

"Depends on what?"

"How cooperative you are…"

Her smile is all that files my mind by now and of course her scent. My face seems to look really puzzled for her. Damned Stella pull yourself together, she is still Nick's sister...you can't... or can I? I don't even know what I can do...how pathetic...

She takes a step back and grabs again my paw to guide me over to the tram but stops because of the uncomfortable feeling that is building over the whole time in the air and there is no way she hasn't noticed. Her smile has vanished and the gaze she is holding up seems to be a little bit ashamed.

"Don't worry Stella, just teasing. If you don't feel good around me then it's fine. It is not like you are the first mammal who don't like me or fails to get along with me. And I know this is not your fault, it's mine...I know I can be troublesome."

Oh no, she is understanding this all wrong...

"N-no that's not it, I like you. It's just the whole surrounding and the new town…you know? It is definitely not you, believe me, I really like you."

Oh jeez it is her but just in a complete different context… but I don't know her for long enough… ah what do I think here, I mean what would be different when we know each other for longer?

She turns back to me and to my great relief she is smiling again, maybe there are some tears in her eyes but she is good in hiding it.

"Thanks Stella."

"You are welcome, Patty."

To my delight she is fast back to her former self and to prove this she is standing herself with spread legs, her left arm on the hip and the right arm stretched into the air right in front of me. She announces like a superhero the upcoming task for what is happening next.

"AND NOW! Off to the 'Broken Circle'!"

"Ookay, What is that?"

"That my dear is the restaurant we are heading to. So shush and be surprised when we are there, okay? No more asking about money or such stupid things."

I just nod, I know not much about her but I know one thing for sure, I can't stop her from inviting me into this restaurant. So I just give in to my fate, let's see what's coming next, not that I can foresee what will happen today anyhow. We make our way to the tram station from where we start our little expedition through the heart of Zootopia, to our luck we find to empty seats with a good out off both sides of the vehicle. We are mostly driving past high buildings, museums, monuments and other historical edifices. And to my surprise she can tell me almost to all of them a different story, which she all does with this typical smile of her. Which I miss every time she is just looking in a different direction to see where the next interesting point of our tour is. I shouldn't get too attached to her but actually why not? Ahhh this is all so confusing...up in the north I did had such problems, okay it's not like I had anything up their.

"Is this the part of the town where you grew up?"

"Savannah Central? Haha no, not directly, I grew in up in a district that is basically part of it but every born citizen you ask would say that it is a complete town of its own, it's called 'Bell's kitchen' and has a murderous past but those times are long over. My mum is still living there, in the house where I grew up and I don't think that she will ever leave… well at least not without force."

For a short moment we watch a group of mammals on bikes passing by the tram. I know I shouldn't but I'm just too curious about her past.

"So what's the story of little Patricia Wilde, here in the big city?"

Again, she smiles at me and but this time I can see that there is a little bitterness in her gaze.

"Oh you know it's basically the typical story, father left before born, mother tries to get the kits up without the father or that anything is missing for the kids, brother left the home with 12 because of a dispute with mum and comes back 17 years later because of the best bunny in the world, I'm usually alone learning to become something but I'm still the weird mammal in all the schools I go to and even later in university… yeah so that's it. Tadaa."

She ends her little monologue by doing some jazz hands and trying to come back to her old and carefree smile but this time it seems not to work. I was wrong, she is a lot like Nick. Both try to hide behind a mask for Nick this mask is sarcasm, irony and his smirk but for Patty it is her childish behaviour, her cheerful nature and her smile.

Or maybe...

No this cheerful nature is not just a mask, this is what she really is, what defines her and what I never saw until today in a mammal. Special just like Judy said

I lay my paw on her paws, which she has folded in her lap. And there it comes slowly back her typical smile, which I like about her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask."

"It's okay, it's in the past and no one can change it. Besides without all that I never had the possibility to meet Nick again, or Judy ...or you."

I smile and try to talk it down but she keeps her eyes on me.

"Believe me it is nothing good to know me or to have me in your life."

"Maybe, but like I said, it is not on you to decide that and you know what? We arrived and during lunch you can tell me your story!"

And with her typical joy, she pulls me up from my seat and push me in direction of the exit. Not even three minutes later and we are standing in front of the "Broken Circle", an old but charming restaurant. Without hesitation Patty walk's right into it and I follow her some steps behind. The interior looks pretty expensive and I can't imagine that I could even buy a glass of water in this restaurant for the last 20 $, I own…

I want to let her rethink the things she said about the invitation but before I can even talk to her she is hugging a grey wolf with a mustache.

"Antonio! How are you doing?"

The first thing I could recognize is the strong italian accent in which he speaks.

"A little Miss Wilde. Good, good. How can I help?"

"Say is mum here or…"

"Ah I am sorry Misses Wilde is talking to the mammals of the delivery service. You know the vegetables and so one. But of course you can eat here. A table for you and your girlfriend?"

"Say is the herbal garden in use. Or can we eat there, you know how much I like in there and so we don't disturb other customer."

"It's free. But you will at first greet the rest of the family right?"

Antonio smiles a last time and makes a little bow in front of us...I was never in such a restaurant.

"We will go in a minute, okay? He is right I have to greet the rest in the kitchen. Especially uncle Heishi"

"Yes sure."

I follow her into the kitchen but I am still on the watch if someone will stop us. But no, they all see Patty, nod friendly to her and me and that's it...And then the kitchen everything is made out of steel and glass. In one corner of the kitchen stands an old goat or is he and antelope Patty goes without hesitation to the goat...antelope, I'm not really sure what he is but they greet each other as if he would see his daughter again.

"Uncle Heishi! Oh jeez you are really getting old, don't you?"

"A Patty! Come here and give this old serow a hug. How are you doing?"

It is a really heartwarming scene and resembles a father that sees his daughter after a long time. I stand some meter away and watch the show with a big grin on my face.

"Hey uncle where is Vicki, I want to greet her as well?"

"Oh she is in the back, washing the vegetables and skinning most of them. You know, daily business."

"Stella, I'm back in a minute, just stand there and wait, okay."

"Don't worry I won't run, I wouldn't even know where to."

She blinks a last time and point with her finger at me.

"Good girl."

I watch how she slowly disappears to the next room.

The old serow is coming over to me, his left arm on his back and his right stretched out to greet me. He has one of this old slight smiles on his face, that could show everyone in the room how many years of wisdom and knowledge he already gathered.

"Heishiro Katsuragi is my name. What is yours young lady?"

"Oh Stella is my name, Stella Conroy. You have a nice restaurant here, Sir."

I can hear a soft chuckle from him.

"I'm just a chef, I don't own this place. Say Stella, you like her don't you?"

"What?… I mean yes she is a nice mammal and a good friend."

But he just keeps his soft and wise smile without looking away from me.

"Oh! So, so friends look so specific on the butt of their friends nowadays?"

He saw it? Oh no...

"Haha, don't worry I'm just teasing you. But we both know there is more, you know it is called love on first sight and you my dear are hit pretty hard and pretty obvious. But I know in the end it is your decision and that's good so."

I don't know what I should say and the only thing I could do is scratching my neck to distract myself. Maybe I'm able to give him a stupid grin but that's all…

"Sorry, I…"

He gives me a sign that I don't need to speak on.

"Just listen my dear, I never had kids on my own and the only thing that comes even close to this is Patricia. She was here every day, I cooked for her, talked with her about her problems and helped her with her homework for the last 25 years.

She comes now rarely to us because of her work and I know it is important that she goes her own way but we both know that she is special and you are the first mammal besides her brother and Judy who walks through that door and takes her as she is. You don't judge her for her behavior."

"I don't think there is anything to judge."

"You are a good mammal Stella, a lot of people in this town are not so understanding. They just see the worth of a mammal and no longer the mammal itself...but forget it that is just the babbling of an old geezer."

Again he chuckles slightly about his own sentence.

"Neither can I demand something from you, nor would I do that. I can just request something, please keep an eye on her. Like I said she is special and I think she deserves someone who is special for her. I would be more than happy if I know she is not alone out there in this city. And like I said you are the first she ever brought here and she could go with you anywhere in the city but she came here to her family. She is smart Stella, she doesn't do this for nothing."

"It doesn't bother you that I'm...well a female?"

Again a slight chuckle from him.

"My dear, I walk long enough on this planet to know that something like that doesn't matter. Only small minds would bother themselves with such problems, that not exist."

I smile at him and nod about his request.

"Don't worry Mr. Katsuragi, I will keep an eye on this crazy vixen."

"Oh thank you and please call me Heishiro, another thing you lose with age is the use of pointless formalities. And to give you a little help with Patricia…"

We can hear that she is coming back from her little meeting with Vicky, whoever that is, and Heishiro is giving me a sign to come closer to him. He whispers the next words into my ear.

"...she likes everything in combination with blueberries. Use that for your advantage to get her."

I seem to look very confused at him. But he just keeps his smile. Patty is standing now in akimbo position in the door frame and looks with puffed up cheeks over to us.

"Uncle Heishi what for secrets do you tell Stella about me...I hope not the one about my start of school."

"Don't worry my dear, nothing bad and of course nothing like your start of school, where you started screaming and run out of the hall as soon as your name was on the line."

"Uncle! Stella don't listen to this old geezer, his mind plays tricks on him. Something like that never happened and of course not to me."

And for the first time Patty looked really ashamed but hey, I know mammals who started to puke in their school bags on the first day of school...and no not me.

"For this impudence old man, I demand a plate of your best sushi...please. But just if you don't have to much to do..."

The old goat strokes his beard and chuckles softly about the request from Patty.

"As you wish princess. Something special? Eel?"

I can see how Pattys eyes begin to sparkle about the fish he mentions but just seconds later she has her smile back and holds her head up. She looks now like a little queen.

"Your apology is accepted uncle Heishi. We will now depart from this kitchen and leave into the herbal garden."

"Good, I will send Antonio, when everything is finished okay?"

"Thank you."

And with that she already grabs my paw and drags me through a dark corridor, right into the herbal garden.

Woah is the only thing I can say about the view. I thought we would go into a real garden but no we are standing now into a huge greenhouse over and over filled with various plants, herbs and bushes. And everywhere are flying butterflies, I honestly never saw ever something like this in my life and I also don't know that something like this even exists. The whole place is warm, bright and very comfortable, I bet even in winter it is nice and cosy in here.

"What is this? I never saw something like that."

"Neat, huh? Mum built it together with the others to save some money and have a higher quality of spices and herbs. Oh I forgot to tell you, my mum owns this restaurant…"

"Wow, you must be really wealthy. I mean if your mum has her own restaurant?"

"Ehm, no. You see my mum worked herself up from a waitress in this restaurant, to chef, the leading chef and then co-owner of this place. 2 month after my mum signed the contract, the real owner embezzles a lot of money and left without saying a word. That was 10 years ago and she is still paying for this but she is also to proud to give up on this place."

She take some steps in the front and holds her finger up to a bowl filled with sliced oranges parts, not long and a butterfly lands on her finger. I can see her smile about the little but colorful insect. It doesn't rest long and start again his way through the greenhouse.

"She cut her own salary down and tried to save on every corner she could find. But she didn't fired one person or cut their salary, even if they all wanted to help her. She said: 'We are maybe one family here but I made the mistake, I am responsible for this and so I will stand in for it. If anyone of you ask me again to cut down your salary then I will let you wash and skin the vegetables for the next 4 weeks.'. Even Nick tried to give her the money but he failed too and couldn't hustle her. We always say where other mammals fall and stand up, my mum doesn't even blink. This whole town could burn down to ashes and she would just stand up the next day and start all over again. Oh and if you ask yourself what is with the butterflies, we use them to pollinate the plants. It is like a little ecosystem we have here."

I can hear a knock. The wolf is standing in the door frame with a smile on his face and a plate in his paws filled with sushi. He is going straight to the table at one side of the greenhouse and prepares everything for lunch. Patty gives me a sign and we both walk over to the table.

"It looks as great as ever Antonio, I have to thank uncle Heishi later on for that."

"Oh don't give him too much credit, you know this will just rise to his head."

"Okay, maybe the next time."

"Bon appetit you two."

We thank him and as fast as he entered the room, he also left it. Patty takes a pair of the wooden sticks, puts her paws together and lays the sticks between thumb and paw. The next thing she does is to bow in front of the plate.

"Itadakimasu!"

"Ehhm, what?"

"Oh sorry, that is something uncle Heishi teached me, as I was a small vixen. It means 'I have received' but uncle said in his home country it is the equivalent of 'Bon appetit'. Every day he made lunch for me, we bowed, wish each other a bon appetit and eat together. So you could easily say he was my replacement as a father but honestly I couldn't ask for anyone better than him. I mean the others here are also important to me but he stands out."

"You have a great family Patty."

"Thanks Stella."

Without any hesitation she starts to eat and after 15 minutes I ask myself where the hell this small vixen puts all the food she kills off. Anyhow it is one of the most delicious meals I have ever eaten, maybe I have still some problems with the sticks but I think sooner or later I will get the trick.

The sun is slowly setting on the horizon and Patty looks a little bit sleepy, I never thought that she could run out of energy.

"So white fox, now is your turn, so please tell me something or I will sleep here and now, which by the way wouldn't be the first time. So what is your story?"

"Mmh there is not so much I can tell you. We were a happy little family mum was the typical housewife and father was an english teacher in our local school. My mum died when I was 12 years old because of a heavy car accident. From this moment I just wanted to leave this terrible town. And with that the whole environment of Fairbanks which has the whole year just snow, ice, wind and the cold. And I can tell you one thing this cold is the worst of all, I doesn't matter what, overtime it pervades everything and you can do nothing against it."

"Sounds terrible. And why Zootopia? I mean I'm glad you choose this town but there are others in the near, why here?"

"I… I just wanted to get as far away from there as possible…"

I start to look outside of the window because of Patty's gaze. It is not the first time that I told somebody this part of the story and this is basically the happy part.

"Do you know what I think?"

"No, tell me."

"I think that there is a huge part missing of that story, so why don't you tell me the rest of it?"

She smiles and tries to get some more out of me. But no, not even her happiest and heart warming smile will let me talk, that is nothing for her, especially not her. I don't want that she thinks bad or strange about me. No, not her.

"Sorry Patty, maybe one day but not now. For the moment I just try to forget."

I can hear her already inhale, to start another attempt but she is interrupted by her smartphone which lays on the table and starts to play a song I recognize from somewhere but I don't know exactly from where. She answers the call and goes directly into speaker mode. After some seconds we can hear the voice of Nick coming through.

"Hey Patty, how's your day with Stella?"

"Hey Nicky, Stella and me at the speaker, what's up booooy?"

"Hey Nick, your back to normal?"

"Yeah pretty much and it seems like I have a good run with the bunnies, they also seem to like me...but that's not the reason I'm calling. Patty you have to do me a favour."

"Oh do you need my charming attitude or more my refreshing beauty."

"This time none of those sister heart, I need your medical abilities."

"Oh oh is Judy hurt? Oh no, did you hurt Judy? Nick I swear to all existing blueberries, I find you and then…"

"What? No, why should I do that? Are you nuts? No Badger called me moments ago. Finnick is hurt, he got stabbed."

A moment of silence and it seems like Patty fights with some inner demons. Some old inner demons she seems to have for a long time.

"Nick…"

"Patty I wouldn't ask, if it is not urgent. He is bleeding badly and I know you can fix him. Look if I weren't here I would try to help him myself, you know that. And we both know he was not nice to me but screw it, he is my oldest friend and you know I wouldn't ask for anybody."

"It's okay Nick, I do it but this time you owe me and brother you owe me big."

"Thanks Patty, I know he is in good paws when you are there."

I can hear her chuckle from Nick's statement.

"Oh come on, save the sweet talk for Judy and her family. I want to celebrate Christmas this year in a burrow with everyone we know, so be a nice big bro and do that for me will ya?"

"Christmas? Does mum know about this?"

"Ha she even has the menu ready for the big day and the bunnies but enough of that. I have to visit a little bad fox, you're helping me right Stella?"

"I think yes but I have to get my train later on."

"Pfff train, don't worry you can sleep in my bed. Bye Nick!"

"What you're bed…"

She ends the call and smiles over to me.

"That was a joke, maybe…"

I know I wouldn't sleep in the academy tonight but in her bed? It would be even okay to sleep here…it's nice and warm. And I never slept between butterflies.

She is long up and stretches her paws, arms and legs to get the sleepiness out of her body, her face looks now a lot darker and less… well like Patty mainly.

"So, let's go. We have an emergency."

I stand up and try to stretch me as well but she has already grabbed me again by my paw but not without giving me one of her sweet smiles, why is she doing this persistently?

"Come on, come on slowpoke."

And without warning she runs with me back into the kitchen area. The gaze of the complete chef personal must be great, I could just see how Heishiro is standing beside a panda, a lynx, a gnu and an older vixen which must be Patty's mum. But he seems to chuckle about us leaving so fast.

I almost stumble in the kitchen area but Patty is holding my arm to tight to let me fall to the ground. All 5 look at us as if they can't believe what they see at the moment. Patty is just shouting some last words at the crowd before we disappear through a side door into the colder evening.

"Bye guys. Medical emergency. Mum I explain it later to you!"

And we are gone. On our way to the street is Patty already searching something on her phone. To our luck we get directly the first free cab and this time I can see the high professional Patricia at work, no jokes, no signs of fatigue or other distractions but well at least for some seconds.

"Where can I bring you two sweethearts?"

"Zootopia Central Hospital, main entrance. You can wait there for a short time, I just need to get something from inside. I let this beautiful white vixen as a pledge in your car."

"Hey?! I don't know if I should feel downgraded or upgraded by your words."

"For you just the upgrade."

But there she is again, the Patty I get to know the whole day and which I fall more and more in love with. I know it's out now but is it a crush or more?

The driver, a raccoon in his 40s is still looking at us before Patty shouts at him.

"Hey, I'm maybe joking around but this is still an emergency!"

"Oh, sorry. I'm on my way."

And within 10 seconds we are on the road and on our way to the hospital. It is just now that I recognize that I never asked her an important question.

"Patty I'm sorry but I totally forgot to ask you as what are you working?"

"I'm a doctor and just one more month and I get my official M.D.."

I'm stun, I heard that the prejudice at the University in Zootopia is so high that they not even consider to take on specific species. And foxes are one of those.

"But how? I thought the University here is extreme with its selection…?"

"Well, Nick happened…"

And then she tells me the whole story about her inauguration and the money. It is partly unbelievable, what Nick has all done for her and then without taking any credit for it. This damned fox, every time you think you know him comes a new story that changes my view on him a little bit. He isn't the ice cold hustler he sometimes plays, just someone who learned to survive and helps other to survive.

We are just some minutes away from the hospital and Patty takes out her smartphone to call someone.

"Hola, Carla. ¿Cómo está todo?¿ Buena? ¡Muy bonito! Dígame, ¿podría preparar mi bolsa con el equipo médico? Tengo una emergencia. ¿De verdad? Gracias, eres un ángel. Nos vemos pronto."

She closes her phone and I look at her with my mouth open. I mean you need to be good to become a MD but this.

And I know don't judge a book by it's cover but if she is one, you would find a new surprise on every page. What do I say in every paragraph.

"You speak spanish?"

"Yeah why not? At first I had to learn latin for all the technical terms in medicine but later I needed another language to fulfil the conditions at the university and spanish is widely spoken and it is strongly related with latin, so less to learn for this red vixen here."

"Than you are way ahead of Nick with your skills. I mean... why are you grinning so at me?"

"Believe me just because he dropped with 12 out of school doesn't mean he knows nothing. You would be surprised what he can."

"Okay, whom do you called? If I'm allowed to ask?"

Again this teasing smile that seems to be just for me and for no one else in this world.

"You my dear are allowed to ask me anything. And this was Carla a nurse which I work often together with. She is preparing my bag, I need some tools or Finnick is as good as dead."

Dead? Is it really so serious? I have no idea about this whole thing or to whom we are driving.

"And she just talks spanish?"

"No of course not... but I wanted to let her feel a little bit more at home. So whenever I can I talk to her in spanish, at least I try to do it, she is all alone in this city and she often misses her family, so..."

"Don't worry I understand and girl you are way to kindhearted for this town."

The driver turns the car slowly in the main entrance area of the Hospital, where we can see other mammals in wheelchairs and nurses who try to help upcoming Pattyents.

"Maybe… and we are here. I'm back in a moment and before I forget. The next aim is 404 Mulholland Drive, do you know where that is?"

"Of course, miss."

She take a last look at me before she leaves the car and walks in a fast way over to the entrance of the hospital. I follow the hypnotising swinging of her dress and petticoat, until she vanishes in the entrance area.

Half of a day and you are head over heels for her Stella, is this Nick's great plan or is this just coincidence? Only hell knows what he is up to.

I caught myself how I look every 5 seconds on my phone and then to the entrance. But it seems I'm not the only who recognize my behavior.

"Don't worry sweetheart, she is coming back for sure."

"Do I look so desperate?"

"Honest response?"

"Mmh…"

I can hear a slight chuckle from him before he starts to talk.

"You two look like you would make out any minute on my backseat. So when you two lovebirds are out of the car and have finally some free time just for yourself, do something against that tension."

"Maybe I shouldn't have asked."

He turns himself around to me and smiles with the nonchalant way of a cab driver. The next thing I see is his paw which he holds some inches away from me. I respond to his kind smile and shake his paw.

"Conrad."

"Stella."

"I like you Stella, here is a little present from my side."

He is holding a black credit card at me which I take it with a little delay because I'm not quiet sure what that is. It looks valuable but what doesn't this days...

"Thanks but what is that and why?"

"Like I said I like you two, so see it as a little present and what that is, well that's the big question you have to answer. But don't worry sooner or later you will find the answer. But keep it, use it when you are in need of it. And I await great things from you Stella."

Great things? In need? I look very puzzled at him and then at the card in my paw. I thought at first it is one of those gift certificates for food delivery which you have sometimes in your daily mail but this here seems to be different. 'G' and 'P' are the only initials that stand on the card but only if you hold it against the light. Strange but hey even if it is just one for food it is okay.

"Thank you Conrad."

"Oh and it looks like your little lady is coming back to you."

He is right, Patty is walking back to the cab, in one paw her bag with medical supplies and with the other she is eating a donut? Grinning at me and Conrad, she enters the car. I put the card in my jeans, I should take a more specific look at it later on.

"Okay, we can start."

Conrad chuckles lightly about the sight of her and is in a short time back on the street to our final destination. I just stare at Patty how she eats the donut with a delightful face. Even during the lunch she doesn't looks so happy. It takes almost 5 minutes until she recognize my gaze.

"What? I needed sugar. Don't look at me like that."

"Where do you get that?"

"Oh, Carla and the other nurses saved one for me, they know that I'm addicted to that stuff."

"Obviously…Where do we drive now?"

"One moment."

She even licks her paw pads that are lightly coated in sugar...she really must love it.

"Okay, ready. Now we can talk again. What was the question?"

"I asked where do we drive?"

"Oh yes sorry, we drive to Nick's old gang in the suburbs. Which is a massively euphemism for what they really are."

"And what are they?"

"Basically, 3 dudes in an old house trying to plan the next big thing. But since Nick is out of their little business, they just tend to fuck things up and it seems this time they came to the wrong mammal. We have there Pete who just tries to support his family, Brandon but we all call him badger who owns the place and Finnick who is the one that is wounded."

"Nick's seems to have a colorful past, I mean he knows so many different mammals, worked in so many different places and did so many things. Sometimes I ask myself, what for a new mystery I get to know the next day about that fox."

Patty gaze changes, she looks now very concerned and even a little bit sad.

"I know it sounds every time like a life out of a movie but believe me, from all things that happen to him, Judy is the best. He never show it to others but he is broken and if someone can fix him or at least give him a new direction in life, it is our little grey bunny."

"I didn't know…"

"No problem, I mean how could you? You are not a fortune teller or anything like that... You can park behind the red van, than we are at our aim."

"Hey I saw this van today, during my drive with the train. I think it was in Tundra Town…"

"What in Mr. Bigs territory? Oh no, we need to hurry. How many for the ride?"

"32,17 $ Miss."

"Okay here are 50, keep the change."

"Thank you Miss and I wish you two good luck with the upcoming task. And Stella use the card if needed, okay."

The little raccoon is smiling a last time at us before he drive of with his cab into the night.

"Bye." - "Bye, Conrad."

"What does he mean?"

"I explain it later."

Patty is walking straight to the old house which has not even dimmed lights in any of the windows. You could easily assume that there is no longer anyone living but after a short ring of the doorbell we can hear activity behind it. At least two voices can be heard on our side. Patty and I exchange a quick look at each other and she just shrugs with her shoulders to say that even she don't know what is going on in there. After one more minute she can no longer endure it and shouts at the closed door.

"Okay you two numbskulls, open the damned door or do you want that Finnick bleeds to death? It is me, Patty and no mobster who wants to finish you two off!"

Silence. And then the sound of an opening door but just some inches. Patty takes the opportunity and pushes it completely open. Pete and Badger stumble to the ground, where they stay for a while. Both look with a sad and terrified gaze at us, not realising what happened just moments ago and why they are on the ground. After one sniff of the house, I just assume that 3 or 4 blunts have some something to do with that.

"Where is he?"

Badger is the first back on his feet and running to Patty to hug her. He is totally hysterical and not able to pull himself together.

"Patty! He is not more moving...I-I don't know what we should do! I-I think he is dead, yes he is dead, oh nooo."

Patty is now complete in her element, she grabs Badger and hold him by his shoulders to bring him back under control.

"Badger slowly, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale...exactly that is the way. What is the last thing that happened?"

"He, he had some minutes ago an attack, his whole body was trembling. Since then he is no longer moving. He is in the living room on the couch."

"When happened this Badger? When did he get wounded?"

"About two hours ago… maybe a bit longer."

"Good, I will talk to you later. Go outside and maybe smoke something to come down, but stay outside of the living room."

"Stella you come with me." - "Yes!"

Without hesitation we both went into the living room, it is not difficult to locate the fennec. His snout is incredibly pale and I can understand why they thought that he is dead. Patty feels at first for the pulse and checks the pupils, it seems to be okay, not good but okay. And so she starts to put the blanket and the bandage away for a short moment silence but she starts to curse after she sees how big the wound actually is.

"Damned! Okay Stella, clear the table and try to clean it with the antiseptic spray in my bag, it's not the best option but better than nothing. Then I need the razor, needle...no I do that myself, just clean the table and get us some gloves. We are at least a little bit lucky, no internal wounds or bleeding."

I start instantly to search for the right things in her bag. First I try to put on some gloves and give her another pair.

"What is wrong?"

"He lost too much blood, but that is not our first problem. At first we need to close the wound."

The table looked almost clean, so I just spray a lot of the antiseptic spray over it and hope that I do nothing wrong. Patty carries in the meantime the unconscious fox over to the table and lays him down. The shirt he wears is completely soaked in blood and Patty cuts it fast open with a medical scissor. I saw wounds like those before but I never saw how someone treats them and especially not with such a speed and concentration, Patty knows exactly what do.

The wound itself is about 5 inches long and stopped by now to bleed but if this is because of the massive blood loss or other factors I can't tell. But you can imagine that 5 inches for fennec mean a great part of his stomach are open. All I can do now is watch how the red vixen does what she learned and perfected during her studies.

After disinfecting the sore edges, she shaves the fur around the wound and starts to stitch up the little golden fox, from time to time we can hear him moaning from the pain. Stitch for stitch I see that the wound is more and more closing. In the end she needed 14 stitches.

Deeply exhaling a last time and cutting the medical yarn to finish her work, she sits back for a moment and relax her shoulders after 30 minutes of permanent work in a stoic position.

"Okay now comes the hardest part…well for me."

And like many times before on this day she surprises me with what she does and this wouldn't be done from a normal egoistic mammal or even doctor. She goes over to her bag and collects everything she needs for a blood donation.

"Wowowo what are you want to do?"

"He lost too much blood and had already an hypovolemic shock, so I try to replace a part of it with my own. Don't worry fennecs don't need so many blood."

Finnick still lays on the table in his unconscious state, while Patty sits herself in a chair to his left and makes herself a little bit comfortable.

"But… don't you need to know his blood type for this?"

It almost felt like ages that she smiled the last time at me but she does and it is just for me and I know why, she even tries to calm me down.

"Normally I would need it but I know mine and this is in that case enough. So mine is zero with a negative rh factor, which means I'm an universal donor, like Nick. And yes it would be better if he would get his own blood type. But unfortunately we don't have that luxury at the moment. So..."

And during she explains me the situation in calm and understanding words, she is long in the preparations to tie up her arm and disinfects it careful. After finishing she let her left paw slowly go over the right crook of her arm to feel for a good vein.

"There you are, you little bastard… autsch, I still hate that part."

Without waiting to long, she put the needle in and I can see how the red fluid slowly fills the blood pack.

"Now we need time."

"How long?"

"About ten to fifteen minutes, till this package is full enough for him."

"Okay, can I ask you something?"

She leans her head back to relax a little bit but despite of that I can see her smile.

"Stella, you can ask me anything, okay? So if you want to ask me a question in the future, just ask."

"Okay, so. Why couldn't we bring him just into the hospital?"

"Ah good question Miss Conroy, the answer is a little bit diverse. First thing is he got stabbed, which means the ZPD has to look into this case, which would be not so good for him. Second the hospitals in Zootopia are very high professional and if you go there as a normal person you would pay an incredible amount of money, if you have no insurance. There are just some professions which get the treatment for free and this are staff members, firefighter, the ZPD, the ZBI and member of the ZIA. But the last two institution are fusing more and more to one but...just forget it."

"This town loses more and more it's brilliance for me…"

"Oh don't worry here and there you can still find some diamonds in the dirt of this city."

She blinks over to me and I don't want to say the next words to loud but she seems to understand some of them.

"Oh I think I already found one."

"What?"

Suddenly she looks at me with a confused face.

"What? Nothing."

"Mhmm anyway I'm done. So Mr Taylor now is your..."

To her luck I stand directly behind as she is about to faint and I can catch her. For a moment she seems to sleep in my arms and I try to control myself but I can't, I lay my muzzle on her head and inhale the sweet scent. Good thing tomorrow is sunday so she can rest and to my luck she seems not to recognize that I took a sniff from her.

"I bring you home after this, okay? You've done enough for one day."

I wait for one of her teasing sentences like 'Oh Miss Conroy, really? I didn't know that this your way to come into a innocent girls home..'. But there is none. Panic slowly starts to spread in my mind. I take her on my arms and carry her over to the couch. She has a blackout. Come Patty please fool me, please stick your tongue out and say that is all just a joke.

But it isn't.

I don't know exactly what happened here but it is not normal to have a blackout after such a small amount of donated blood...

I start slowly to caress her cheek.

"Patty come on, talk to me."

And there her eyelids begin to flicker, a first sign that she comes back to consciousness. But instead that she takes a moment to care of herself she is instantly back in her care for others.

"Hey sunshine, how are you doing?"

"Well the better question should be how are you doing? I mean what was that?"

"I guess but this is just an assumption, that this was a little bit too much blood from me... or the sushi was no longer so good."

"Oh you jerk the sushi was just fine or shouldn't I feel bad as well?"

"What? I don't think that you can compare you a northern wildling with me a sweet southern beauty in such a way."

Like stupid teenagers we sit here in this worn out place and grin at each other, until she tries to stand up and go on with the work but I can hold her back.

"Hey Missy where do you think you are going?"

"I need to finish Finnick or he doesn't get better."

"Lay down, I do that. First the blood and then the saline solution, right?"

"Yeah but how…?"

"Do I have to do something else with the transfusion than with the saline solution?"

"No, it's basically the same but how Stella?"

I remain silent for a while until I decide to share this memory of mine.

"My mum. She had a rare form of anemia, she was getting a transfusion every month and we always had a stockpile of saline solution in the house but sometimes she was to weak to do it herself and father wasn't always there, so I had to do it for her. You remember the car accident I was talking about earlier? It was like one of the blackouts you had just moments ago, she lost control over the car and...well, I think you can imagine the rest."

"Stella I'm…"

Patty looks with a concern face at me but I just reply with a smile.

"It's okay, like you said in the tram, it's in the past and nothing can change it."

To find the vein is no problem, not even after all that years. I did this so often, I can't even remember when this all started. Maybe it is the strange but nonetheless memorable day but somehow I want to share my past with her.

"Mum said every time when I helped her with the needle and the saline solution, that I do it much more carefully than father. But I never know if she just wanted to cheer me up or if it was what she truly thought."

"I bet you did."

Finnick is okay now, the transfusion is slowly going into his blood circuit and the color around his muzzle gets better from minute to minute. I don't want to stand the whole time besides him, so I hang the bloodpack on the edge of the lamp, where it slowly does his job. And to not stand like an idiot in the room with nothing to do, I walk over to Patty's bag and search for another package of the solution and to my delight, there are still two of them. I take one and go over to Patty with a smile on my face.

"What do you want to do?"

"You got degraded in the last second from doctor to Pattyent."

"Stella, no. There are others that need this more than I do…"

"Oh shush you, I know how much one of this things costs. So do you want the dollar now or later?"

She looks with an ashame gaze and puff up cheeks at me. Jeez she is lucky that she looks so cute when she does this or I would be more annoyed about her.

"Damned, I thought it would work."

I don't wait for more excuses and start to search for her vein. Her arms are extremely small but muscular, well that explains why she has so much strength for such a small vixen. She doesn't interfere in the whole procedure, she just lays there and watches my doing with a smile.

The saline solution doesn't even need 10 minutes till completion, which means for me the old and energetic Patty is back in action. She slowly tries to get up and to my delight there seems to be no more dizziness from her site.

Like a triumph she stands up and raises her fist to the ceiling.

"Ha, stupid blood loss you will not get me down!"

"Not that I await any other reaction from you."

She just grins at me and walks over to Finnick, who slowly seems to come back to the living. With one or two hand movements, she changes from the now empty blood transfusion to the saline solution. After 5 more minutes he slowly opens his eyes. Patty's gaze changes into something that is much more dark

"W-Where am I, Patty is that you?"

"Of course it's me, how many other red vixen do you know, who can stitch your lazy ass back together?"

"But how?"

"Nick called me and you know why?"

His voice is very deep and I can at first not really connect this deep voice with this little mammal.

"Nick? But he left and said he is done with me?"

"You Finnick Taylor are the greatest dumbass I know. He would never abandon you. Not even after what you did. Which leads to the question, what did you say to him?"

He looks better with any minute but has a bitter gaze on his face.

"Please Patty, I don't want to repeat…"

"What did you say to him. I just know that it has something to do with Judy."

"Patty, I don't want…"

Patty is definitely enraged, another of her sites but this is by far the most fearsome. I don't thought that this happy mammal could become so angry.

"I don't care what you want. I saved your goddamn life because Nick has begged me to do so and you know that I don't like you. So tell me why you two had to fight the day he comes back home to mum."

"T-They talk again? But how?"

"This is not your doing, Judy did this and a lot more things. So about what was your fight?"

He turns his head from Patty to me and for the first time, he is looking directly in my face. A mix of confusion, anger and shame can be seen in his face but he doesn't seems to know on which emotion he should concentrate at the moment

"Who is this?"

He maybe tries to distract her but Patty is short before exploding and doesn't want anymore talking around the topic. She even takes his head and turn him back to her.

"She is a friend and helped me to fix you, that is all you need to know. Now again what did you say to Nick and no more excuses!"

Something in him snapps and I could see that he is not someone who uses light words.

"I called him a prey fucker, okay! Are you happy now that you know it?!"

Patty's eyes widen and for a short moment I thought she will slap him. But no, she just stands up and start packing her belongings. My gaze switches now permanent between the small fennec and Patty.

"I'm sorry Patty it was stupid, I said those things in anger and you know how I act when I'm angry! I shouldn't say that okay! I'm not even against what they do."

But she ignores him completely, takes her bag and of course grabs me by my paw.

"Come Stella, we go."

"Patty come on, talk to me, please!"

We are almost out of the door as Patty turns a last time to the little fox.

"Listen Finnick, I don't care. You can't blame everything on your anger and your incapacity to talk to other mammals. At one point you have to take responsibility for you and the mammals around you. Nick did this and you hate him for that, fine. He went on with his life and you hate him for it, fine. If you want that your life is going more and more south, than please it's your life not mine. But I'm done with you, I don't want such a negative mammal like yourself in my life and I will not help you again, this was the last time and not even Nick can change that. So… keep yourself safe."

I take a last look at the small fox, he sits with a devastated gaze at the edge of the table and seems not to know what to do. I don't know him but it seems it hit him pretty hard what Patty said and surely he will need time to think about all that.

In the meanwhile is Patty standing outside together with Pete and Badger. Her mood is still bad but she explains everything the both need to know about the upcoming caretaking of Finnick. I stand myself to the group to know what they are talking.

"...this are antibiotics because I don't know where you three were and I also don't want to know it. Give him one in the morning and one in the evening till it is empty. No alcohol and no smoking for him or in his near. He will in the next week only move the minimal ways, okay? If anything happens to him don't call me, he had his chance and he wasted it, so send him to a hospital or doctor in your near. He has more than enough money, to pay for it."

Both mammals stand there in front of her but everyone can see that they almost cry because of Patty. She kneels down and take both in a big hug.

"Take care of yourselfs and if you two or your families need treatment or anything else, then just call me. But not more for Finnick."

A nod from both and Patty turns herself to me. She tries to smile but I see that it is hard for her. I follow her silent through the house and outside in the front yard, where she is typing something on her phone and I look after the time, 10:34 pm. Okay now it is official, I need to stay here, the last train departed one and a half hour ago.

"I texted for a cab, it should be here in 5 minutes."

"Are you okay?"

"No…I mean you know… I don't know how to put this..."

She tried to find words but it seems difficult for her to find the right ones.

"We five were our whole childhood together in good and in bad. We never sold anyone out, whenever we could we stand in for the other without questions because that is what friends are for. And what is more important we accepted the other regardless of their decisions. But he betrayed us and what is even worse he betrayed Nick, they were like brothers, inseparable. He just can't except that Nick choose another way for his life and that stupid fox thinks he is left alone. But Nick would ever help him, no matter what happened between them. He is never alone."

I stand there and listen to her talking without making a noise and she recognizes by now that I'm still here.

"I'm so sorry Stella that you have to endure all that. I promised you a nice day and than this."

"Don't worry, I think it was a great day with you and I would never change one bit of it."

Her sad face turns in seconds into the happiest face I could ever see on a mammal.

"Ahh you know how to make me happy Stella. And for your kindness you get tonight my bed and I sleep on the couch."

"What no, it's yours I can't take it."

"Sorry no refund and no taking back. And by the way there is our cab."

She waves over to the cab driver, who turns and stops directly in front of us. Sadly it is not Conrad who drives the cab, this time it is a zebra and according to his nameshield he goes with the name Boris...strange combination. We sit down and relax a little bit after the events with the wounded desert fox.

After some meter I remember that I still have the card from Conrad and I decide that it is a good time to take it out and give it a better inspection. But it still is just a black card without any visible information, okay I can still see the 'G' and 'P' but that's all. Patty looks already interested at the card and she takes it out of my paw without any question but she seems to be as confused as me.

"Where do you have this?"

"Conrad gave it to me."

"Who?"

"Our last cab driver. Ehm Boris, Sir?"

"Yes, how can I help you, dear lady?"

Stella replied it with a friendly smile and asked.

"How many cab driver do you know in this town?"

"Hah, I would say I know them all, little white vixen!"

"Okay, can you tell me where Conrad a raccoon normally is located?"

"Who?"

"Conrad? About 40 years old? A raccoon?"

"Sorry Miss but there is no driver in the inner city of Zootopia who fits to your description. And believe me I know them all."

Patty and I exchange a confused gaze and ask one more time because we had driven definitely with him, I mean the card is the proof for that. Or not? To our luck we stand at a red light and I could show him the card. He take a quick look at it and shruged with his shoulders.

"But he gave me this card. Do you remember it from anywhere?"

"No and there is nothing written on it. Seems useless to me."

I take it back and put it in my jeans.

"But you should definitely keep it!"

"Keep it? Why?"

"Well as a memory of this day of course and you never know maybe it is valuable and nobody knows it?"

"He said it is and I should use it when I'm in need of it."

"In need? Sounds very mysterious if you ask me. But… you could ask Nick, maybe he knows something about it."

"Why didn't surprise me this…"

For the moment we sit both back and enjoy a little bit the ride to her apartment. With every minute rises my tension about the night and the upcoming morning. I mean till now was everything so good between us and I don't want to destroy something that's maybe not even there…

"So Ladies there we are, the Sunflower Apartments. That would be 17,34$."

This time I was faster and could pay for the ride and not Patty. And there goes my last 20$...

"Here, you can keep the change. What is Patty?"

Again she is looking at me with puff upped cheeks, believe me a very adorable view.

"Why don't you let me pay? You said you don't have enough money."

"Don't worry I don't need much and my ticket for tomorrow is already in my pocket."

She is taking the explanation for the moment but seems a little bit huffy.

"If you say so…"

We leave the cab and stand for a moment on the sidewalk in front of the apartments, Patty is stretching her arms and I try to control my tension as I see something on Patty's dress.

"Patty?"

"Yes, mon cheri?"

"No, no hold your arms up. There is something on your … ohoh. How expensive was the dress? I mean it is beautiful and suits you but…?"

"But what? What do you? Aaaahhh, no, no, no."

On Patty's left side was a relative big bloodstain. I bet it is from Finnick, as Patty carried him over to the table… The dress is ruined and that is a fact. It is now that I see that the dress has pockets...that is very useful, I never saw something like this...anyway she take out her phone and calls Nick.

"That's it, now he's done!"

This will not end well for him...

Patty stands on the sidewalk with her left arm in front of her chest and her right paw with the phone on the ear. Her right foot is tapping nervously on the ground. After some seconds Nick finally answers the call.

"Hi Patty, everything al… "

"Oh don't you Patty me, I'm more than angry about you! You know that you owe me brother right? Well let's just say my favorite dress is from now on your list of things you have to repay!"

"What, wait… what is going on? Which dress?"

"The blue one you numbskull and if you try to play dumb, than ask your bunny she knows it, right Judy?"

Judy's voice could be heard in the background and she sounds very upset.

"What your dress is busted, hows that? The blue one, with the sunflowers and the pockets?"

"Finally someone who understands me! It has pockets Nick! Pockets! Do you even know how long I searched for something like that? It is not just beautiful, which is till now confirmed through Stella and Judy, no it is also useful because of the pockets!"

Nick still tries to come out of the whole mess but it is much too late and I still fight with myself to hold back my laughter about the scene she is making her brother. I mean it is a pity, it looks very good on her. But then makes Nick a very bad mistake.

"But Patty it is just a dress…"

And then silence for a moment on both sides.

"..."

"Just a dress? Just a dress? Judy did you hear that? Listen carefully because this will be the thing he will say to you on your wedding. IT. IS. JUST. A. DRESS!"

And now was Judy's turn to take on the fox, the grin over Patty's face is huge. It seems Nick is not the only one who can fool you into something, this little red vixen is also able to play some tricks on you. And without any anger in her voice she replied a last time.

"Bye Nick, I call you tomorrow."

"Patty, why?"

"NICHOLAS WILDE!"

Are the last two words we could hear from Judy before Patty ends the call. We look at each other and break out in a wave of laughter.

"Oh he has no idea...this is too good. A puh well that was a nice way to blow off some steam. It's sad about the dress but I can't change it… Well and now to the apartment."

And this time she doesn't grab my paw and just runs like the devil through the world with me, no she takes it very softly into hers, smiles at me and walks in direction of the apartments. Which is a typical new building and would be222222222223eeee day than you could see a typical yellow. And there is it again the tension I lost over the day is slowly coming back to me.

We are climbing through the dark staircase, the moon is all we need four our kind of eyes to find our way. I walk slowly behind her because I'm still concerned about the fainting she showed in Badgers house. But she seems fine till we reach a red door in the floor, she hesitates for a moment to get her keys out and talks but don't turns herself back to me.

"Please don't expect too much, Nick says always the whole apartment reflects me perfectly but I never get what he says with that."

She gets her keys out of her now ruined dress, opens slowly the door and turn the lights on. Well what should I say, Nick hit the spot with his description.

Imagine a color and I can promise you Patty has it in her home, I can just stand there and smile about it, I try to give you a quick overview about it.

We stand both directly behind the door and look into a small open kitchen area, which contains some tools, flowers and a collection of colorful cups in a cupboard with a glass door and of course a little kitchen island to sit and cook. To our left is half open door which seems to lead into the bathroom. On the right site of the kitchen follows a door to the little balcony of her, of course with more flowers all over it. In the right far away corner, in the near of the balcony, of the room are mainly two huge bookshelfs with an incredible amount of books, journals other reading material and one of those old ears armchairs with even more books around it. Directly behind the two bookshelfs is a door which seems to leads to her bedroom. And directly behind this door is another shelf but this time full with LPs, CDs and other audio equipment… it just hits me but in the right corner stands an old upright piano…and over it on the wall a lot of pictures of her past. I can see Nick and Judy on some of them.

"You even play an instrument?"

"Well, a little bit. And just sometimes, when I have time for it… I'm not as good as Nick with his guitar."

"You have to play for me, I would love to hear something from you."

"If you ask me so nice then I will fulfil your wish tomorrow… So what do you think about mi casa? It's a dump, right?"

I walk through the room and place Patty's medical bag on the kitchen island, she almost forgot it in the cab. I need concentration because with every minute I stand their new details come into my sight that fascinates me.

"Cosy, nice and not too big, I like it."

"What, really?"

"To be honest, I feel more at home in this apartment of yours after five minutes, than in the house I lived for almost my entire life."

And of course she smiles and brandish with her dress slightly from one sight to the other.

"Okay so let's see what I can borrow you for the night…"

And she disappeared into her bedroom, from where she returns with a huge white shirt and an excusing smile.

"That is all I have, which would fit your heights. I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize, everything is fine. Ehm the bathroom is over there, right?"

"Yes, have a nice shower, I prepare the rest for the night...Oh one last thing, could you help me, please?"

She stands with her back to me and points with one finger at the zipper of her dress. Well another thing that I didn't predicted at the morning, that I would help a beautiful vixen out of her dress but as always it is different than expected...

And as always she is acting not like a normal mammal would but hey what is normal in the world of Patricia Wilde, that is something I should know by now. Instead of walking into her bedroom and change into something else she just drops her dress and walks half naked through her apartment. I mean I like what I see and it is her apartment, so she can do whatever she likes here but…

"Ehm Patty?"

"Yes?"

"Forget it, I just go and take a shower."

"That's the spirit."

I walk with the white shirt to the bathroom but I don't enter before I take a last peek of her. She is still naked, has hung her dress in front of her and seems to think about a way to save it but after scratching her neck and shaking her head, she seems to realize that she can do nothing about it.

I close the door, undress myself and step under the shower. The hot water is more than welcome after such a day and for the next minutes, I just let it flow over my fur to rethink the events of this chaotic day. It doesn't matter of what I think from this day, everything is and will ever be connected with her and over all stands her smile to me. Other mammals have different faces to express their emotions, Patty has different smiles to do so and that is something I never saw before. And why the hell am I grinning like a little child, when I think of her? And why do I ask myself so stupid questions on which I have long the answer?

I should ask her... no she wouldn't react like I think. I bet she didn't even like me, I mean a bumpkin like me. She does this for her brother, he owes her now...and I think after tomorrow I will see her never again. I mean why would she wants to be together with me? Come on Stella suck it up and try to act as nice as you can, this is the least I can do.

I finish myself and put on the shirt from her. It is so long that it goes down to my knees, for Patty it must be another dress.

"Hey Patty you can go now."

"On my way snowfox."

She is completely naked now and carries her cloth on her arms over to her bathroom. I'm not sure if she knows anything like shame, I bet not. In the time she disappears into the bathroom, I decide to take a better look around her living room. The books on the shelfs are mainly fiction but then everything, romance, thriller, horror, old fiction, something to laugh and even some erotic literature between the other books. But it is not like she hide it, no they stand together with the other books.

I can hear that she starts to sing under the shower and I take it as a advice to look over the music she collects. Mainly like her taste in literature, from everything a little bit but mainly rock samples and to my surprise Jazz. I listen now a little bit more carefully to the voice from the bathroom and can identify what she sings as 'Timber' but in a very jazzy version, another thing is sure while I listen to her song, she can sing as good as her brother.

Five more minutes and she is finally back and stands with a sleepy face behind me, finally with some cloth on.

"I just sit down for a minute, okay Stella?"

"Yes do that…."

"Did you collect all the music on your own?"

"No, some are from Nick. He has his own collection, way bigger than mine. He even gave me some limited sign editions, which I'm not allowed to open. Pfft music makes no sense when… you...can't listen...to...it."

"Yeah that's right. Patty?"

But too late she is already fallen asleep on the couch. So I go over to her and put her in a better position and cover her with a blanket, she even smiles in her sleep, well maybe she is dreaming of something good. The only thing that I can hope for is dreaming of nothing but I know this will not happen.

I take a last look around if something is still to do but no, come Stella close the curtains for her and then go to bed. But as soon as I try to make a step I feel that I can't move, a quick look around and the source of my immobility is clear. Patty is using my tail as a pillow and under normal conditions I have nothing against it but… I don't know everything is so damned complicated…

To free myself from the vixen I take one of the pillows on her couch and replace it with my tail. She doesn't seems to like it, her face gets really grumpy but is still more than adorable.

Finally free I close the curtains and go over to her bedroom, I just follow her advice, first because I don't want to have an argument when she wakes in the middle of the night and don't find me in her bed and second I can't resist to sleep in a bed that smells like her, I know it gets slowly creepy but I don't care, I can't even remember when the last time was that I felt so good in the near of somebody and the boys in the academy don't count because... reasons.

Laying down in her warm bed which would even be big enough for both of us, I inhale a last time her scent and fall asleep at once.

"It is everytime the same dream, I wake up in panic in my bed in Fairbanks and call for my father but he is not answering, nobody does. I'm just sitting there alone in the cold of my room and wait for anything to happen but it will nothing happen, I'm alone with the voices around me.

"It is your fault!"

"Why do you stay here? There is nothing left for you."

"We have no place for freaks here!"

"See? Not even your daddy loves you anymore Stella."

Nothing will change until I take the first step and at some point I can't stand the voices anymore, I have to go and see what is else there. I try to call for help but of course there is no one coming to help me, believe me I waited and I've waited long. Cut off from any other options I do, what I ever did as a little girl, I run down the stairs and search for my parents. But they can't be found anywhere and all the doors are closed, I'm trapped. In the end is just one more room left where he could be because I realized till now that mum is long gone, the living room, the place where my father always waits and drinks.

Waiting and drinking, waiting and drinking that is all he ever does. I enter the room and stand myself right in front of him but he can't see me, he can see nothing anymore, his gaze just went dead through the room and ends on the wall. Where nothing is left, just the last picture of mum and he would never take it down, no. This would mean change and that is the thing he can't do anymore…. And so it ends I'm trapped and can't leave this damned house, this damned city, this damned northern nothing…all I can do is wait for it to end, alone."

Sometimes I even ask myself if this is a dream or a memory...I can't tell...

2 hours of sleep and I wake up crying and with my feet dragged to my body. I need a moment to recognize where I am. It is again this time in the night where I don't want to think about it anymore. All I want is to forget and go back to sleep but I can't because the memories rotate in my head and I give myself the fault… over and over again. At day I can try to distract myself, play the strong one and try to keep the mask but not at night when I'm alone with me and my thoughts...and all those voices, echoing through my head...this damned voices...

"You should have be gone..."

"You should have ended it right away..."

"Your father ignored you because of a reason…"

"Maybe it is your fault?"

"You should have give in Stella. No fight, no sorrows…"

"Why do you try it here again?"

"Mum could live… and you know that!"

"It is your fault!"

"You are a freak that is all you ever are Stella!"

"This whole town just waits for the day where you leave and never come back..."

"Do you really think that anybody likes you Stella?"

I press my paws against my head and hope the pain let the voices disappear but it never helps, it causes just more pain. With a crying voice, I mumble to myself.

"I know that nobody likes me…"

"That's not true, I like you."

This voice is different, this time the voice seems to be real and of course I know from whom it is. I don't dare to turn myself around, I don't want that she sees me like this. It is just half assed attempt but I try to pull myself together.

"Everything is okay Patty, you can go back to sleep. If you want I can sleep on the couch."

But she sounds dead serious, no jokes and no flirty voice this time.

"Nothing is alright, you are crying and whimpering in your sleep. Don't tell everything is fine. And just for your information you will go nowhere and neither will I."

I could hear that she is standing behind me but with little effort the little red vixen is crawling under the blanket and hugs me from behind. Without hesitation she lays one paw over my tummy and draws myself closer to her. We are so close that I can feel her muzzle in my neck and her breath on my right cheek. Despite my fast heartbeat, I give in and let her stay like this. I mean it is not uncomfortable, just...new.

"Tell me what happened Stella."

"No Patty, I don't want to give you this burden. And I don't want that you look at me and just feel pity. Please let me keep at least this day as a good memory."

"You dumb fox, as if this is the last day we spend together…so come on share this burden with me, two shoulders can take more than one."

Till now was nobody so persistent to help me. Nick and the boys tried but it didn't felt right. But now...I still don't know.

"Why do you do this Patty, we have no real connection…you don't even know me."

"We are friends that is enough for me, so please tell me your story Stella. I will not judge you, I promise."

"..."

I need my time to make a decision but finally I give in, again. What is it with her that makes me so damned weak? I take a last deep breath and start to tell.

"Okay... like I said to you, we were a relativ happy family, well till my mum died. From there on everything goes south. At the time I was 12 and at home with a pneumonia, she tried her best to take care of me but like I said she has her own problems with her illness. On a tuesday in march, my fever gets even worse over time and she decides to drive into town and get some stronger medicine for me, that's where it happened. We lived at the edge of the town, so she needed some time for the ride. On her way back she lost her consciousness like you today, she came off the road and collided directly with a tree. She didn't die instantly, she could free herself from the car wreck and tried to reach the road. The emergency doctor was more than surprised to see her still standing. She was immediately transported into the hospital but she died on her way there because of internal bleeding…"

I take a short break and look over to Patty, I don't know if she is already asleep. But no, she is listening to everything I say and watches me with her light green eyes.

"But do you know what the hardest part is for me?"

"What is it Stella?"

I can feel how the tears are coming back...I never told this anyone, only my father and I know about this.

"Till the last moment she clasped the bottle with my medicine and told the doctors that she has to go home...back to her daughter...to give her the medicine…"

The point to hold back is long crossed and I turn myself to Patty and as if she knows what to do she takes my head to her chest and strokes softly over my fur to calm me down.

"I know it is not my fault what happened to her but why does it feel like it is? Why does it feel like I drove her personally against that tree...If I wasn't sick, she would be alive. If my condition was better she had no need to drive to town. If, if..."

"Stella no, your mum just wanted the best for you. It was an accident, how could you assume that it is your fault?"

"My father, he never said it personally but I could feel how he thinks about this. He blamed me for this and he never talked about her again. You know how it is with foxes and a broken heart. They are never the same again."

Patty never stopped taking care of me and I can feel how it brings me down. It feels good to talk about all of this, to let some of the pressure out.

"This is not all, right Stella?"

"No…"

"Whenever you feel ready for it, I'm here for you."

I exhale deeply and take in as much of her sweet scent as possible. And suddenly I feel like I want to tell her everything what turns my world so dark.

"And till then everything went south. My father started to drink and simply stopped going to work, he just did from time to time little proofreading tasks to keep us floating. From their on I was basically on my own with school, work, house keeping and all the other things. I hated it. In school I was just the poor girl without mother and a broken father but I was at least a little bit accepted. But even this changed…"

"What happened?"

"Puberty happened and with that all the boys and girls in our school started dating the opposite sex. But not little Stella, don't get me wrong I got my offerings from the boys in town but I was just not interested in them. Maybe Nick told you already that females are the ones I'm sexually attracted to…"

At least once I wanted to shock her but she didn't even flinch, no I could feel how she starts to grin at me and whispers into my ear.

"What if you are not the only one?"

I hear the words but can just feel how a shiver is going down my spine and I ask myself if she really was going with her tongue over my ear or is that just my imagination? I try to play cool and ignore it for now. She just tries to tease you Stella… or not?

"A-anyhow you have to know about the north, that most of the mammals there are very conservative. They don't accept somebody like me or interspecies couples and at least predator-prey couples. There are rules and they have to be followed or you become an outsider like me. The day I told it my father was almost the day he died because he couldn't take it anymore and tried to drink himself to death. But luckily he passed out before he could do greater damage to himself.

After this he stopped talking to me completely and another week later he kicked me out of my own home. Just my aunt wanted to take me, I was 18 at that time and worked already for 6 years to survive. My aunt, the sister of my mother, was kind to me and wanted to pay for my education but I rejected this and started to work on my own in a bar in the city."

"You had a troublesome life till now."

"You didn't heard the end…"

"Darker?"

I just nod and continue with my story.

"Rumors began to spread, during my work in the bar. About me and my preferences but luckily the owner of the bar Frank a massive rhino from the south didn't care what I like, he just saw that I did good work. And as long as he was in the bar, no one dare even to look at me or talk back because they know he would not allow it. But they waited for me and I felt safe, that was my mistake.

One wednesday in october, Frank left early and leaves the rest to me, which meant for me just cleaning and closing the bar because there was no one there on that day.

Just before 10 pm they came, 5 mammals from my old class in school, under the command of a white wolf, the son of the local sheriff. Like I said they are really conservative up their and if something doesn't work like they want, they take the law in their own paws. 5 mammals entered the pub at 10 pm, one was still there and at 11 pm left 5 mammals the pub but left one behind, broken and on the edge to death."

Patty stopped the stroking over my fur but she is not asleep, I can hear her breathing and it gets more and more angry. It is now at me to take her paw into mine and sooth her.

"Don't worry she survived and lays now with another beautiful vixen in bed."

I heard today many things from Patty but nothing sounds so serious like this.

"That is not funny Stella, you could have died because...because of idiots. I can't believe that something like this happened. I'm sorry I broke your flow again."

There is no anger left in me when I tell the story, everything feels so far away, almost as if I remember things from another life or from a movie I saw a long time ago.

"I have to admit, I did pretty well for a single artic vixen against three foxes and two wolves. I broke the arm of one fox, one wolf lost a tooth and two of them will have for the rest of their life's scars visible for everyone else. I bet now after the training and together with Judy on my side I would wipe the floor with…"

"STELLA!"

I'm shocked, Patty is crying and lies now in my arms. What happened? Is it too much for her?

"Don't do that…"

"Do what? Listen I'm sorry if it is too much for you, I can stop."

She takes my head between her paws and I can look now directly in her whiny face. It doesn't matter for me how much she cried, she is still beautiful...

"That's not it. I'm worried about you. I'm worried about the things you say to yourself. Please don't play it down I saw other do it and it never ended well Nick did and he almost broke, Finnick did and you saw today where it leads him, I don't want to see that you go the same way as them. It is maybe easy to talk it down but in the end you will just get used to the violence and the feeling of getting hurt. And one day there is nothing left and all becomes meaningless. I see it everyday in the hospital, the faces of mammals who just don't care anymore and who gave up."

I think for a moment about her words and let them sink in.

"I'm sorry Patty, I will try, okay?"

She nods and chuckles still a little bit whiny.

"Oh jeez, I'm a terrible listener."

"No you aren't and don't worry I'm almost at the end. The moment they enter, I know what they want from me, namely that I should obey to the rules but I declined with a simple 'Fuck you'. Sorry, ehm like I said I tried to defend myself as good as possible but at one point… it was too much. Someone hit me and I collapse onto the bar and I hit my head against a massive piece of wood, everything goes black and I can remember nothing from this point on. Frank found me the next day bleeding and broken on the ground of the bar, he calls immediately the ambulance and they are very surprised that I'm still alive, I mean for the injuries I have received. From there on I'm 3 weeks in an artificial coma where I can restore from 3 broken ribs, a broken arm, many bruises, cuts and 2 fractures in my skull, wait give me your paw..."

I take Patty's paw and let her feel over two specific places on my head, she knows better than anyone how many damage this wounds could mean. A gloomy exhaling is her reaction to it and she grabs me even tighter in her hug.

"After I was getting better my aunt sued the mammals who did this to me but like I said there are rules and everybody has to obey or leave. All five talk themselves out of it and say it was a typical pub brawl and they don't know who started. In the end the lawsuit is canceled because of unclear facts. I had enough of all this and the next day, I said goodbye to my aunt, take my savings and leave the city without ever turning back. That was two years ago, since then I'm travelling through the world on the search for a new aime. Somebody who saved me from my own stupidity said I should try it at the Zootopia Police department and yeah that's where I am now."

"I can't believe, that there is not even justice for what happened. They just got away with it. That is not fair."

"Well that's life, it isn't every time fair and it doesn't always comes around what goes around."

"Every time? You had no luck at all! You just stumbled from one problem into the next and none of them are your fault."

"Don't worry Patty, I have the feeling it will get better from here on for me."

Other would find her words offending but for me they lighten my mood and I know what she wants to tell me.

"How can you say that? You come the first time to Zootopia and the person you run into is me? That's like winning in the lottery but instead of receiving, you have to pay money…"

"Thanks Patty."

"Thanks for what?"

"Cheering me up of course."

"Jeez, let me see those head wounds again, I think they are much heavier than I thought…"

Okay we have to chuckle both over her last joke. But I can see that her face is becoming serious again.

"Do you feel better?"

"Surprisingly yes, I never thought that it would help."

"What do you mean with that?"

"I mean you are the first one I ever told this story."

"Oh...I didn't know and thanks? Listen it is late and you said you want to sleep alone… I mean you are feeling better and everything… so I will..."

And I feel how Patty is slowly detaching from me and what should I say, I don't like it one bit. Everything in my mind screams hold her up and I before I can even think about what I do, I grab her by her paw and söhe stops on the edge of the bed.

"Wait, if it is not a too heavy burden for you, could you please stay… with me for the night?"

She turns herself around and smiles at me with her characteristic happy face.

"I would love nothing more than that."

She crawls back into the bed, in the same exact position she was just moments ago and for the first time in my life I close my eyes and I'm looking forward to wake up and see what awaits me next.

Something is off, so much is clear to me but I can't tell what it is. I'm half awake but I can't say what is wrong...Okay Stella if you want it or not check what is going on and then maybe back to sleep…

I open my eyes and the first thing I can recognize are two red ears which stick out from under the heavy blanket. My smile grows immediately because I understand what is feeling so odd or better who. I lift the blanket a little bit and can see how Patty clasps with her whole body to my tail, smiling she lays there and has like I hope a nice dream. To be on eye level with her I slide a little bit down and decide to watch her sleep. No we both are completely under the warm and cozy blanket.

Our muzzles are now just some inches apart and I listen to her adorable snoring. I almost forgot that you find everything great about the other when you have a crush, pink glasses and so on, I think you know what I mean. But if I think longer about us I ask myself what are we? I mean we never said that we are into each or we don't even kiss, so… Should I kiss her now? It would be strange, wouldn't it? You wake up and someone is hanging on your lips? Someone you know just for one day? Even if it was a memorable one? And the other just thought the whole time we are friends and that's it but no there is more but you can't admit it, so you try to hide it and everything will be terrible confusing and aghhhhhh. Why am I doing this? Kiss her and see what happens, I mean what is the worst thing that could happen? She could tell Nick… okay 5 more months of teasing, wow what a problem...she could say no...Okay that sounds like a real problem but didn't she say something in the night...what was that?

"What if you are not the only one?"

Yes! That's what she said. Ahhhh why must it be so unspecific? Okay Stella, you will change, your whole life you try to avoid decisions because of the mistakes that could result from it, I mean what sang this singer gazelle? Try new, no? Try...ah doesn't matter and what do I care, not my kind of music. Get ahold of yourself and kiss her. I mean that is what I want the whole time.

Come on kiss her!

Kiss her!

Kiss her!

I decided and close my eyes. My lips slowly coming closer to hers but I stop in the last moment…what if...

"Come on, kiss the red vixen..."

My eyes widen as soon as I hear this, it is not coming from me and I don't imagine the voice.

"Come on, kiss her now."

Of course it is Patty who tries to speak with closed lips, she opens her light green eyes and looks right into mine. Hers now half way open

"Oh Stella, all my hints and you still can't make a decision?"

"No, I have."

I close the gap between our muzzles and give her the long awaited kiss. It is short but it was the best kiss I ever had, in my short life. I take my head a little bit back to look at her and of course she is smiling at me but this time even brighter.

"See, wasn't so hard, or?"

"I didn't know if you...would want me…auuh."

Patty's paw comes fast from under the blanket, giving Stella a little hit on the forehead, of course she smiles while she is doing this.

"That's one of the stupidest questions, I ever heard darling."

Stella rubs her forehead with her left paw, where Patty had hit her and looks a little bit annoyed but also happy to Patty.

"Why? You could be into males. You could simply not interested into me, you could…"

But I couldn't end my sentence, Patty happened. She wrapped her paws around my head and kissed me deeply. I tried to repay, are as good as I can and massage with my paw slowly her neck. A moan followed by chuckling leaves her mouth, still while we are kissing.

Without big effort roles the red vixen on top of me, the first time I recognize that she is naked. My eyes widen and I bet she understood why. Grinning she sits on me and said.

"Don't forget, when you come next week visiting me, you don't need a night shirt…"

My heart beats fast as I look at her, I never saw in my whole life someone so beautiful and yes I saw her whole last day. But it was something different being here with her, how she sits on top of me, smiling heartwarming down at me and the incoming sunlight, just illuminated her perfectly.

"...Do you want to know, why you got the hit from me?"

I could just node at her, my hearing was perfect but I was still trapped by her sight. Suddenly she came to just inches from my muzzle away.

"Nick, send me a photo of you and what should I say...the moment I saw you on that picture, I wanted to see you in real life…"

Patty run with her paws, through the fur on my chest and I would lie if I say it wouldn't turn me on.

"...I wanted to smell you…"

Again she was with her head directly besides mine and she really rubs her cheek against mine, which is something you just do as a fox, when you really trust someone.

"And I wanted to taste you…"

She maybe spoke those words, but at the same time, we leaned into each other and kissed like two teenagers, who were for the first time alone and could do whatever they want…

After some minutes we parted our lips and laid panting but happily besides each other. This was just a kiss...were my thoughts.

And as we both lie there, I don't know why it comes over me but from this moment on it is the pure truth for me and I have the need to say it.

"I love you."

For the first time, I see something from her, what I thought didn't exist. She is shocked unable to answer or to reply. No smart words or a joke, just a vixen which doesn't know how to interact with her feelings. Her mouth is still open and I can see how some small tears build up in the corner of her eyes.

"Woah Stella I didn't know that you are so serious. I don't know if I can say the same to you by now but…"

I simply smile at her because that is all it needs at the moment. I'm not hurt or anything, just damned happy that she is here.

"You don't have to know it now. It's just what I feel and I know that you like me, so no pressure. I just wanted you to know."

Again she gets on top of me but this time it is for teasing.

"One day to make you fall in love with me, damn I must be good. Hah even better than Nick, he needed for Judy over a month."

"Woah, since when turned this into a competition?"

"Siblings need their little competitions, to keep the family spirit up."

"You two really don't know what shame is, right?"

"Shame? Shame… never heard about it, must be one of those new sayings like 'pawflix and chill' or 'getting schwifty'."

"You are an incredible jerk Patricia Wilde."

"Maybe but from now on I'm your jerk, snowflake."

"Snowflake? I have to ask, is this with the nicknames normal in your family or do you and your brother do this just with the mammals you like most?"

"Mostly with the mammals we like."

Still over me Patty crossed her arms in front of her chest and tilted her head to the right site. She is thinking about something but like I know by now she can change fast.

"Okay I have decided! On our next date we will go dancing!"

"Really? I never thought you would be someone going to a club?"

"Club? Who talks about clubs? I mean dancing."

And with that she gets up from me and stands herself in a dancing position in her bedroom. Humming to herself she begins to turning herself through the room in a specific pattern, like I said before it just make me happy to watch her doing her own thing.

"Oooh. Ehm there we have a little problem, I can't dance."

If you think she would stop and talk properly with me, you're wrong. She keeps humming and turning through the room. I am still in her bed leaning on my left arm and watching my crazy girlfriend dancing through her own apartment.

"Like a little bunny once said to me, that is total blueberries. Everybody can dance."

"You don't understand, maybe I can but I never learned it, I never found a dancing partner."

And there she stopped right with her back to me. Her arms are sinking slowly to her hips, where she puts them. Her head is slowly turning over to me and I can clearly see that she is grinning, she has a plan in mind.

"I know now what Nick owes me."

"Ookay and what."

She comes over to me and gives me a quick kiss on the muzzle, kneeling before me to be with me on eye level and explaining her plan.

"Nick will teach you dancing."

"I don't think that I can learn till next weekend properly to dance…"

"Not till then dummy… till next year, there will be the yearly Zootopia doctors ball where all four hospitals of Zootopia give a big festivity for the highest in society, sponsored by the biggest and richest donors in the city and I want to go with you and no one else"

"I'm honored."

"Oh you better be."

"But next problem, I don't own a dress…"

"Good thing that my brother owes me one."

She stretches her paw to me and helps me up but don't let lose of it until we left the bed, her bedroom and walk through her living room and with that right under the shower where we had some more fun and actually also a little bit of showering. Leaving the shower earlier to search for something in her closet, I'm left in her bath and could relax a little bit under the hot water.

Clean, dried and back in my old cloth I'm ready for craziness and return to the living room, where Patty sits in the same dress as yesterday in front of her old piano and obviously waits for me. She is sitting on one of those piano seats.

"How? I thought your dress is ruined?"

She raises her finger and point with it down to herself.

"You forget that this vixen right here is not stupid, I bought of course three of them because I liked them so much and don't worry Judy knows that, I was shopping with her on this day. I hope she wound Nick up with that story…anyway I promised you a song. Any wishes?"

I stand behind her and give her a kiss in the neck before I answer. I can see that her tail is going all bushy from it and I know she likes it.

"I don't know, is there something you would like to hear at the moment?"

"Actually yes. And I bet you will like it. The composition is called 'A town where you can see the ocean', say when you are ready."

She smiles up to me and I search for a place to sit but everywhere I look is for me at the moment to far away from her, so I decide to place myself on the floor and lean myself at her back.

"You can start if you wish Patty, I'm ready to enjoy."

"I hope you like it."

I relax and think about the last day and how my life is turning more and more upside down but in a good way, I never thought is possible. Well she is simply not what I expected, or the day, or the night but somehow it works...

Maybe special is exactly what I need when I listen to this crazy vixen playing a beautiful song where I can almost imagine sitting in the near of the ocean together with her or anywhere else, it doesn't matter as long as it is with her.

I don't know what will develop out of this but that is something only time will tell, but I know one thing, this is more than I ever hoped for.


	14. A Place to Live

14\. A Place to Live

 _"The Question is not about where you go at the end of the day but to whom." - Ansem_

 **Nick**

We are walking now for half an hour through this burrow and finally we are almost at our aim, Jimmy's apartment in this underground tunnel system. But hey, we had a very good half an hour. He showed me the living hall, yes it is actually a hall over multiple floors, with enough space in the middle for all bunnies and one half of Zootopia, the rooms for the little bunnies, as an example the room of Dorothe, an older bunny girl who was not so delighted about our visit. The bathrooms and of course a huge part of the tunnel system.

"So this is basically the whole burrow."

"Really? Just this? You are sure that you don't forget 40 or 50 more rooms Jimmy? Jeez how can you remember all of this? I mean that is basically a town in itself."

Jimmy chuckles but I am dead serious. I mean I'm good at remembering things but this home, this place… it is like a magical maze, you never know exactly where you end up the next time you take a turn. I also thought one time I could smell Judy but this could also be a hallucination in this burrow.

But despite that I follow Jimmy to his and Cathy's little apartment because he wanted to show me one of the bigger rooms and honestly I'm interested, I mean I saw the small rooms and they are quiet comfortable.

"Okay honestly Jimmy, how often do you played hide and seek in here and at the end, not all bunnies were back and you had to organize search troops?"

Again a little chuckle from him but then he scratches his neck and his laughing gets more excusing.

"Ahhh I think this was a bull's eye, right?"

"Well it happens more often than you could think and to be honest the longest search was two days but only when Judy is not here."

"What do you mean when she is not here? Is carrots the master of this magical maze?"

"I think that is not so far from the truth, in the past Judy found everyone regardless where or how they were hiding. Her shortest run was 1 hour and 16 minutes to find all bunnies and if I say all bunnies, then I mean all bunnies…"

"Well she has her ears and I have my nose. But I bet I could be faster, if I know this place better…"

Again one of his light chucklings.

"Your nose? You think you can find all of us just by sniffing a little bit in the air, is that so easy for you?"

I lay my arm around Jimmy and grin down at him.

"My little bunny buddy, I can tell you by the smell which of the female bunnies in this burrow are just now in heat."

"Really?"

"Mmhm."

"Is… well… Cathy is she?"

"In heat? No. Sorry buddy. Jessica is but the way she behaves and with the stories of Judy this could also be here normal state...so what do I know."

Jimmy's gaze turns a little bit darker and we cross the last doors without talking. Something is clearly going on with him.

"So here we are."

We enter the little apartment and well it is all there what you need. A little bathroom, bedroom, small kitchen, living room and a room for Tommy. Of course the items and objects in here are all bunny sized and have often something to do with their most loved vegetable.

"It's nice in here, do you have this also in fox size?"

"Not at the moment but if you are interested, we could do something for you and Judy."

Jimmy goes into the bathroom and clearly searching for something but this whole apartment is not very big, so we can easily talk to each other without shouting. I walk through the living room and look at the pictures. A happy little family looks up to me from the pictures but something is odd. Something that is missing or not complete, I don't know. It's like the first article we found about Stella, at first it is just an odd feeling but the thought gnaws at me until I find more and I can complete the bigger picture. I search for the missing piece. The whole family at the beach, the younger Jimmy and Cathy at a rock festival, Cathy happy and with a big tummy during her pregnan… oh no. Please just no. And then I see the black picture, with seven names on it. But I'm just aware of the last name in the list and this is Tommy.

Why do I have to recognize something like that? Sometimes I wish just to be stupid. And exactly now I remember one of Elliots sentences, 'ignorance is a blessing' and it couldn't be more true.

Jimmy stands now directly besides me and looks with a cloudy look at the pictures and foremost onto the black one. He is not here, his thoughts are far away, at a place where he relives his memories about an event that I could imagine are not very good.

"I'm sorry Jim."

A small but ironic chuckle comes from him but it isn't even enough to make his face move.

"Seven. A litter of seven kits Nick and it was all prepared. The rooms were ready, we were ready. Sammy, Calvin, Mable, Dom, Summer, Kara and of course Tommy. And if the doctors have waited longer Cathy would also be dead now."

"Shit Jim, what…?"

"Acute renal failure, something very rare that can happen during a pregnancy. Because of this it came to a miscarriage and Tommy was the only one who survived this and I'm so glad that he did. He and Cathy are the most precious things I have in my life, I wouldn't know what to do without them."

Jimmy turns a little bit away from me and I lay my paw on his shoulder to comfort him. Something like this should have nobody to endure and not even six times.

"It's okay buddy. Let it out."

He needs a little bit of time to get it together and without a question I give him his time. I mean I don't even know what I should say...

"Thank you."

"Your welcome."

After some minutes he is slowly back to his former and happier self. Puh Judy would kill me if I come with a sad and devastated Jimmy to lunch.

"Is that the reason you two are not married?"

"You are good, I understand now why Judy wants you as a partner in the force. Partly yes. She was with Tommy a long time in the hospital and I spend all my savings, which were original for the wedding, to pay the bills. In the end I had also to take on a loan. But I don't care as long as they are getting better."

"That's pretty hard."

"Yeah and the other problem are Cathy's parents. After we found each other on the concert and became a couple, they… how do I put this…"

"They don't like you, right?"

He smiles at me but he is understandable still a little bit gloomy.

"Exactly! It frightens me a bit how fast you understand things, almost like Judy. Anyhow in their opinion I'm not worth to date her daughter, she should do something with her life and not become a farming bunny. One morning after a big discussion with her parents, she stands in front of our burrow with a small bag and whiny face, mum and dad don't wait for long and take her in. Cathy's parents never asked her what she wanted to be, they just knew what she shouldn't be. They have never called her or tried to contact us."

I can feel how I slowly become angry about the behaviour of Cathy's parents, mainly because my dad did the same to me, Pati and mum. I don't know them but there is no real reason to reject the own daughter, especially someone like Cathy, I mean she is one of the shyest and kindest mammals I ever meet.

"You did great Jimmy, you have a great son and a great… well let's say soon wife."

He is now completely back from his own little valley of bad thoughts and even tries to make a little joke but I feel it is the truth.

"Ha if you would know how many money I owe the bank, you wouldn't say something like this Nick. Sometimes I'm joking around and ask myself if I'm sooner finished with the debt or Tommy finished the High School."

"So bad?"

"Yes unfortunately, my salary is not very high and Cathy's work is still developing. We two have just the luck to have such a great family. Mum and Dad let's us live here for free, I'm happy how it is now but maybe some day."

"Did you propose to her?"

"I wish I could but I want to give her at least anything pretty but ahhh well you know. Normally bunnies propose after one year in a relationship and yeah we are already for 5 years a couple."

"I see, you have it not easy long ear. Can I help you anyhow, you know I have connections. Just say a word and I can organize anything you want. A wedding, a ring maybe both?"

I grin down at him and he replies also with a smile but I can see that he is to proud to accept my offer. Maybe I should talk with Judy about this.

"Thanks, but no thanks."

"Okay listen, at least think about it. I would like to help you with this."

"I know Nick, I will think about it, okay? But now Cathy needs her medicine and I think dinner will soon be ready."

"Did she needs this often?"

"Two times a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. I take care of it because she is a little bit sloppy with the intake but she needs that or her kidneys will have another failure and I don't want to risk that at any price. Say do you want to see what she does for living? I'm proud on what she does but she always just plays it down. It is frustrating sometimes."

"Sure, why not."

He stands still for a moment as if he has a good idea.

"Nick I don't like to take from others or to owe somebody something but maybe you could help me with something."

I exhale deeply and go down on my knees to keep the eye level with him but nonetheless I have my charismatic smile on, just in case. Slowly I lay my paws on his shoulder and speak to him.

"Jim, remember one thing. That between me and Judy is damned serious, we even did the old bunny vow between us. Which is by the way really important for your sister and me. She and I, we both will go together through dark times, we don't know what will happen but a lot will and this is sure. Because of this you and everyone with the name Hopps is family for me and I owe nothing to my family or in reverse, okay? So as your brother whatever you need, I will help you, okay?"

He is touched from my little pep talk and I can see that he tries to hide a little tear.

"Thanks Nick, oh good I think I'm more like dad than mum."

"About that you can be sure. I mean just look at your whiny face...So show me what you got and I tell you how I can help you."

"Not 'if' I can help you?"

My smirk grows and I feel that I'm back in my old métier and it feels good to use it this time to help someone else than me.

"Believe me I know that I can help you, the question is just how."

But honestly I have no idea, what I can expect. Maybe art? But she doesn't look like an artist, no color or paint all over her fur. Maybe something technical, no she also doesn't seems to work with machines or something like that.

Jimmy and my humble self leave their little apartment and go down the hallway to head right up to a larger corridor which leads into the garden but we don't go outside, no Jimmy directs into a greenhouse which can be accessed directly through the burrow.

And well I know the greenhouse of my mum in her restaurant but this? You are flashed when you enter this place the first time, not because of the heat or the humidity. No there are so many colors that you don't know in the first second where to look at.

Orchids, hibiscus and little magnolia trees are everywhere but still none of them seem to be in a specific order. It reminds a little bit of Pati's apartment which I just call everytime I see it a 'colorful chaos' but as you can imagine she doesn't like it that much. I go through the rows of flowers and little trees to get a better overview, she put a lot of work in this and that can say someone like me who is just a layperson.

"So what do you think Nick?"

"It is beautiful, do you want to sell them?"

"That's the plan but we find nobody in the countryside who is willing to pay for this."

"Why? I mean even in the middle of nowhere must be someone, who wants to buy those beauties?"

"Unfortunately no, the problem is they are rare and with that expensive, fragile and not good in the cold."

"How many for one?"

"Two hundred."

"Puh, that's a lot of money for a flower."

"I know and this is just the basic price for one, other trader want even more for that and the magnolia trees are even more expensive. And look at this, she tries to create one for a long time now and this is one of the first that actual works."

I look at it but can't understand that this is even possible. It looks like a normal orchid blossom but the color is partly yellow, red and pink and that in one flower. I look closer at the flower and can see that there are more blossoms, one is pink, two are red and the fourth is yellow…on one plant...

Jimmy and myself are leaning pretty deep onto the table to see all the blossoms and details and don't even recognize that we have company.

"How is this even possible?"

A paw is touching both of us at our back and with a little scream from us two, we are turning around to look at the source of the touch.

"JEEZ Cathy…"

"Honey please don't do that again…"

We see Cathy standing behind us in a white shirt and some worn out jeans She grins this time at us but is also a little blushing, I don't know if it is because of me or why… she starts to speak in a fine and very soft voice.

"I'm sorry, Bonnie send me to get you two. You asked something Nick?"

I need some seconds to come down and exhale again deeply.

"Yes, sorry. Oh jeez…. How do you made those?"

"Mostly crossbreeding between colorful orchids, and then selecting the plants and doing all of this again and again and again. Than you have to wound a plant, if it is the same orchid kind, and then you can try to combine it. Honestly it can be tiring but I don't know… I like it..."

"Jimmy told me already that you plan to sell them but you don't find someone who is willing to pay the price."

Cathy is holding her right arm with her left paw and looks pretty gloomy to the ground.

"Yeah… that pretty much sums it up…"

"Okay listen I think I can help you. At the moment I have two quick ideas what we can do, the first is advertisement. Have you a possibility to send them to Zootopia?"

Cathy's face turns into no time to one of the happiest I ever saw and without warning she hugs me tight. Honestly I feel a little bit awkward because of Jimmy who stands directly besides me but he smiles just at me and her. She can't even let loose of me and seems even to cry a little bit.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you...since 2 years we are searching for someone to help us but no one wants to help or could do something."

"It's okay, no more crying okay? I think I get problems with Judy if I bring all of you bunnies to act like little water fountains and it is no guarantee that it will really work but I will try to do my best. So the first thing is…"

I take a piece of paper from the table behind us and write two addresses on it. Both watching carefully what I do.

"Send four or five of your prettiest flowers to this address, it is the restaurant of my mother. She has a lot of guests with a big bank account and most of the time they like to buy pretty things. I will tell her that she will receive the flowers and let her decorate them in the guest rooms."

"But do you think she will exhibit them?"

"Oh believe me they are more than pretty and I know my mum. She will exhibit them and order one or two for her home…"

"And the second address?"

"The second one is the address of a florist with the name Otterton. Mention my name and write to him under the name Hopps and he will help you for sure. Send him one or two of your flowers and wait for a reaction."

Cathy is now looking with a hopeful gaze at the paper and turns herself around, She is so eager to start this new try, that she is ready to leave the greenhouse and starts directly to pack the plants. She starts to run but Jimmy and myself shout to her.

"Wait!" - "Wait!"

A little bit scared she turns herself to us and I start again to speak.

"First do you have a logo or something like this?"

"Ehm… no?"

"Good draw one, think of name for your little company and then produce little cardboard cards on which you will fill in your company logo and some minor information, okay? And most important take your time, don't rush into it."

I smile at them and continue my little explanation.

"And second your medicine. Jimmy?"

"On my way."

Jimmy goes smiling over to her.

"Oh, I almost forgot this again. I'm so sorry darling."

"Open your mouth, honey."

She smiles a last time at him but opens her mouth without replies. It is an adorable scene and somehow a little bit intimate, I don't know why and I don't mind it in a filthy way. Cathy closed her eyes, opens her mouth a little bit and stretches her tongue out. Jimmy puts the pill slowly on her tongue. After she swallowed the medicine, he caress her cheek and gives her a light kiss on the muzzle. Only then she opens her eyes and smiles back at him, it seems to be their little ritual and both of them seem to enjoy it. They stand now muzzle to muzzle, looking the other deep in the eyes and I could clearly read the tension between them, it's time for me to go. And let them both have a little bit fun, I chuckle and remember their song from earlier today which I played for them. Ah I think it doesn't missed it's target.

And without waiting for their reply, I walk through the greenhouse on the side where nobody stands and shout a last time over to them.

"Take your time you two, I tell the rest you have something to discuss."

I smile and give Jimmy a thumb up, he nods in response and turn himself smiling to Cathy. The last thing I see is that he comes closer to her and starts kissing. Closing the door behind me, I ask myself how on earth I should find into the kitchen or better the living hall. I take the first turn to the right because I think that it is the right way. Just some meters on my way I hear a familiar and painfully missed voice behind me.

"There you are slick! I search you since 10 minutes, what happened?"

"Ah, what a luck, carrots! I hoped for so long to find you in this maze but unfortunately are two more bunnies gone missing in this time."

She comes slowly over to me and looks really confused about my statement.

"Do I have to understand that?"

"Let's say Jimmy and Cathy make a little detour."

I use her actual state of confusion and grab her by her butt to bring her close to my muzzle. Without hesitation she crosses her legs behind my back but plays nonetheless the poor maiden in distress. I love it when she does this and when she is sitting on my arms.

"Mr Wilde, here in the home of my parents? You little playboy, you."

"Let me show you Miss Hopps what in this moment happens between the two missing bunnies…"

I lean to my bunny and give her a long, passionate and much needed kiss. But out of the blue Judy ends it and looks at me with widened eyes and an open mouth. Do I miss something?

"Am I so good, that you lost your voice?"

"They… they do it?"

I try to put as much sarcasm in my voice as possible.

"Yeah, maybe. Unfortunately I was not long enough in the greenhouse to proof it with my own eyes."

"No you don't understand this! Since Cathy's miscarriage they have massive problems with being...well intimate."

I tried, I really tried to hold down my chuckle but I can't. And I know my own "intimate" time with her will be massively cut because of this but screw it.

"Intimate? You mean they can't make love?"

"Yes."

"Copulate?"

"Yes."

"Go all the way?"

"..."

"Adult naptime? Aggressive cuddling? Having funny business?

"Nick…"

"Doing the horizontal greased-weasel tango? Rolling in the hay? Wetting the willy."

"Nick!"

Now I have to be a little bit more careful.

"Violating the prime directive? Taking the bald-headed gnome for a stroll in the misty valley?"

"Wait, what?"

Yeah great Wilde, now she is confused.

"Tickling her tummy from the inside? Bringing an al dente noodle to the spaghetti house? Putting the email in the spam folder?"

Hah victory, she can't hold it together and starts to laugh.

"Hahaha... Nick... please stop…"

"Snu-snu? Tube-snake boogie? Exploring the rab-"

In a second she laid one of her finger at my muzzle and smile at me with a serious tone.

"Say the last one and you will get for a long-long-long while no "intimate" time with me, okay? And now you can let me down Mr Wilde, dinner is ready."

She gives me a last kiss and jumps from my arms.

"Pfff party pooper, I could name hundreds of those…"

"Why doesn't surprise me this Nick?"

"Okay maybe another time."

"But please let this other time not be during dinner, okay?"

"Oh I almost forgot."

"What?"

And without warning I grab softly one of her long ears and draw her closer to me.

"Auauau Nick that hurts…"

She looks at me with confused face, her right ear pinched softly by my paw and her left one straight up. I try to talk as softly

"The next time I ask you, if there is anything important to know about your family and you say yes two of them like the same music as me, but didn't say that the same two have a miscarriage of 6 bunnies and I have to get the information in the apartment of the father, by looking at pictures and deducting what happened. During we are alone and getting the medicine for his sick wife,... well it would be nice if you tell me something like this the next time whiskers."

Her left ear drops suddenly and I let go of the other one. She looks a bit ashamed to me.

"Sorry Nick, ...I didn't thought he would speak with you over this topic, he almost speaks to no one about this. Seems like we bunnies have a loose tongue when you are around…"

Well rescued Miss Hopps.

"It's okay, just remember it for the next time Judy. It was no pleasant conversation but I honestly asked me the whole day where Tommy's siblings are, I mean he is the only black bunny in the whole burrow. Okay besides Cathy…"

"I'm really sorry Nick, you are right this is important and I…"

But before she ends her sentence I bend down to her to give her a long kiss to show her that I'm not mad at her.

"Like I said it's okay."

Smiling and back in good mood I let Judy walk in front t of me, of course she is doing her typical little jumps which she ever does when she is happy. I walk slowly behind her and hope that she still finds the living hall, I mean she is a long time away from her home.

"So how was the talk with your parents?"

"Pretty good actually. The first step is done. Your singing and the story you have told have also given you some credit, so we're on our way here Nick. No need for my fox to be extremely worried."

I exhale deeply after hearing those words from her. My expectations for this day were quiet different but it is going pretty well. I thought by now a horde of bunnies would chase me through the streets of Bunny burrow but no most them seem to have no big problem with me and some like the smaller ones or Jess, Jimmy and Cathy even seem to like me.

Judy and I stand in front of a bigger two parted door that leads directly into the hall. She stands herself with her back to the door and hold it closed. Her grin is now bigger than ever.

"Are you ready Nick?"

"Please, I saw all the bunnies already. I don't think that anything here will still amaze me."

"If you say so."

She keeps smiling and enters the hall, holding the door up for me and what should I say I am not prepared, not in the slightest. My mouth drops open and the only thing I can think is chaos, absolute chaos. Everywhere running the small furballs, eating, chasing or playing with each other. The older bunnies sitting at the tables, mostly in a good mood and most of them are chatting with each other. It is warm and cozy in here and over all lays the scent of self baked bread, fresh pies and salad. On one side of the hall is even a fireplace that provide warmth to the surrounding bunnies, who lay on their back and try to gather as much as possible. Everywhere are armchairs and couches partly grouped around little tables. But there are also longer tables that would make every king proud for his festivities, they even have an old upright piano at one side of the hall, oh that is something Pati will like for sure.

But in short it is loud, it is warm, it is lively and I like it. I mean there is even another side where a big group of bunnies is watching television. What do I say I love it, this lively chaos that follows it own rules. Rules that no one ever set up, no they are just there and everyone knows what to do out of routine.

"So Nick, what do you say?"

"I say I love it in here. This is what the living room of a big family has to look like!"

"I knew you would like it, look we should go over to dad he is saving a place for us."

And there he is at the top end , Stew is sitting besides Jess, waving over to us. She still eats her salad and reads something on her phone. Some other bucks, which I still don't know till now but I'm sure this will change quick.

"Judy, Nick! Sit down, you must be hungry. So dig in. Oh Nick this bucks here are Randy, Stanley and Marshall, three of my oldest sons."

We sit down and I smile as a little introduction to my new bunny buddies, all three look very interested at me but no sign of anger or even fear.

"Thanks Mr Hopps."

"Oh stop that and say Stew to me."

"Okay Stew. And you guys, nice to meet you."

All three smile at me but Stanley is the one who starts the conversation.

"Man, I must admit what you can do with your guitar is pretty awesome! I know some guys in a band over in Pleinsfield but I don't think that they are as nearly as good as you."

"Since when did you know somebody in Pleinsfield Stan?"

"Well I talk to mammals from time to time Randy!"

I chuckle lightly as Stanley is turning back to me.

"Ha you should see me with an electric guitar, I bet you would loose your long ears listening to that. Ask Judy, she witnessed it once during a gig with my old band. Right carrots?"

"Yeah, it was very intriguing. The huge amount of mammals, you on stage with 4 other guys and then the songs you played for me... Oh and your sister fooled me, she said she wouldn't know that you can play!"

"You had a band?"

"Sure, we played every sunday in the Zootopia central park for six years, great times but I had to move one, I never thought that the stage would be the place where I will be happy with and carrots you should know by now what you can await from my sister."

"Yes, I know, I know. I just thought she is more the opposite of you."

I thought it would hurt to speak about the band and think back about the great times we had together but it didn't. And I know if I show any signs, it would hurt Judy and I don't want that.

Stanley stood up and knocked two times on the table.

"Well, we're leaving now, nice to meet you Nick and good to see you back Judy."

"Are you three still going to that bar?"

"Hah Judy you know us too good of course we do, so guys see you later. Dad don't wait for us you know it will be late."

Stew just waves his paw and shakes his head with a chuckle on his face. Not even five seconds and he is back in reading the "Triburrow Standard".

The three give us a little last salute and go in direction of the main door, where they have a little last conversation with Bonnie. She gives her boys a last hug, which they can't decline and resume in her task of cleaning the dishes. Judy and myself exchange a last quick look at each other and start finally to eat something, it is just now that I recognize how hungry I am. I take for myself 3 pieces of a delicious vegetable pie, which is not the fancy food mum cooks, more standard and rustic but I like it. Judy nibbles like always on her salad but treats herself with 2 extra yellow carrots. I have no idea if they are different, maybe they taste better? Must be a bunny secret, as I asked her she grins just at me goes silent. I just keep on drinking the tea, a little bunny brought me earlier.

"A lady can't give away all her secrets."

"Honestly whiskers that is just a vegetable, can't be such a great secret but speaking about secrets, look who is coming there. Jimmy! Cathy! I hope your dispute found a good end and with satisfaction for both of you I hope."

Judy besides me is almost choking on the last bit of her yellow carrot as she hears what I'm saying.

I couldn't hide my grin, I have more than enough fun with the current situation. Jimmy tries to keep up the smile and ignores me but I can clearly see the piece of fur in his neck which stands up, probably where Cathy bite him a little bit. Cathy on the other hand is completely messed up, her much longer fur is standing to all sites and is ruffled up. But her blushing is gone and on her face is just a satisfied smile, she doesn't even seem to recognize what is happening around her.

"What you two had an argument?"

Stew asks directly to Jimmy but I think I can play this little game a little bit further and answer for the two. While I beat softly on Judy's back, so that she doesn't choke to death on a little piece of yellow carrot, I try to sound as honest and worried as possible.

"Oh yeah and what I heard it was a rather rough one. None of the both wanted to give in or let it end abruptly."

I keep grinning at Jimmy, which has by now completely red ears but I'm the only one who can see it so clearly.

"Oh kids, kids you shouldn't do that. A long and steady talk, no rough one that will just hurt the other at one point."

It seems Jess is awoken out of her hibernation state, she stands up and starts to laugh. Stew on the other hand hasn't understand at all that he even went further on with my joke and looks confused to his daughter. I, myself, could barely pull myself together.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Jess is turning around and winks at her father to sooth him.

"Don't worry dad, everything fine. Jude do you help me putting the small ones to bed?"

"Yes...I'm on my way…"

My bunny stood slowly up and is on her way to Jess as I call her back.

"Ehm Carrots? I think you forgot something?"

Confused she comes over to me.

"What do I for...?"

And again before she can finish her sentence I give her a kiss on the muzzle. After some seconds she detaches from me. In return she tousles the fur on my head and leaves with a smile to her sister.

"Really sis? Do you really fall for all his tricks?"

"No just for the ones I want to and you are just jealous."

"Jealous? ME? Pah I can have every fox I want!"

Judy grins at Jess and take her into her arm.

"Wrong sis, not my fox."

I can see that Stew is smiling light behind his newspaper. Jess shouts some last words over to him.

"Oh and dad did you already look if something is broken in the barn I told you earlier? You know the one in the middle."

With widen eyes and a little shock Stew jumps up and runs out of the chaotic hall. Bonnie seems to ask where he wants to go but he just keeps running, she shakes her head about her husband and keeps on delegating the last work to some other older bunnies. Jimmy sits directly in front of me and has a stupid grin on his face.

"One day, you will get this back Nick."

"I hope for a good revenge Jimmy but be aware you have to be good to beat me in this game."

Cathy still smiling, starts now slowly to nibble on some salad. But she still seems not to recognize what is going on or she just doesn't care.

"I don't know what you did to her but you seem to be good at it or she needed this since a long time.…"

Jimmy is blushing qbut his smile is back.

"You really know no shame, right?"

"Oh Jimmy, don't judge me before you know my sister."

"I can't imagine she's worse."

I just chuckle about his reply and imagine how Pati would go crazy with all the little bunnies and the huge burrow...Pati, this reminds me. I hope she can help Finnick. Come on Nick you know she is as good as she is crazy, if she can't help him nobody can.

Jimmy and I talk a little bit more about the burrow and his ideas with the flowers and trees Cathy cultivates. His ideas and what he wants to do are not bad, he has just no connections to the market. Well and that is where I come into the plan. But I think this a story for different time. After some time Jimmy nodes in my direction, at first I don't understand what he wants to tell me but then I feel a light paw on my shoulder and Judy's scent in my nose. She is directly at my ear and whispering to me.

"Somebody wants a good night kiss…"

"Isn't it a little bit earlier for…"

Smiling I turn myself around to my bunny and look over her shoulder.

"What the fu…ehm holy blueberry is going on here?"

Behind Judy is an incredible long row of small bunnies all ready to sleep and yet in their sleeping outfits, to be exactly from the place I sit up to the door where we entered the hall. I bet I must have by now a really stupid face but Judy bows to my ear and goes on with her explanations.

"They saw that you gave me earlier a kiss and they asked me during their bath time, why you didn't gave me one the muzzle...so…"

"So?"

"I told them it is a lucky charm to get a kiss on the head from a fox. Well yeah one thing lead to another and now they want all a kiss from you, on the head understandably."

I grin at her and prepare myself mentally to kiss over a hundred bunnies on the head, no I really do.

"You know carrots, this is how rumors start."

"I know but it is a better rumor than that foxes are made by the devil, don't you think? And by the way, can you really turn down my wish?"

"Okay, you got me. You know exactly that I would do everything for you."

"That's my fox."

I stand myself on the bench I'm sitting on to get a better overview over the amount of the bunnies. This will take a while, that is sure.

"Okay bunnies, listen! I will give everyone a smooch on the head, if you want. I think I have enough lucky charms for all of you."

A wave of 'Yeahs' and 'Thank you uncle Nick' went through the rows of the bunnies. But that is not all, I also want something from them.

"BUT!"

All ears stand straight up and pointing towards me even the ones of Bonnie, which stands now right besides Judy to know what is going on here.

"But I have a condition! Because you are all part of Judy's family I want to know everyone of you, so step in front of me, tell me your name and in exchange for that you get a smooch on the head. How does that sounds?"

"YEAH!" "DEAL!" "Uncle NICK!"

And so it begins, I let a bunny step in front of me, he or she tells me their name, they get smooch, I wish them a good night and the next one is on the line. It takes almost an half hour but like I said I would do anything for her and this is actually something nice to share with the Hopps family.

Judy and Bonnie stand some step away from me and talk about something while I'm working myself through the line. And l really wanted to give every bunny a smooch but… I don't want to give one to the last member in the row…

"Judy?"

"Yes Nick?"

"Did really every bunny has to get one?"

"You promised it didn't you?"

"I know but the last one in the line is Jess and I feel quite uncomfortable giving her one…"

I hope she could hear the sarcasm in my voice.

Without hesitation Judy turns herself around and walks slightly angry and mumbling to herself to her sister which is only 5 little bunnies away from me. She grabs Jessica, the till then smiling bunny by her ears and walks away with her sister who tries at the same time to apologize and throwing a tantrum, it is hilarious. Some minutes later and the last one is standing in front of me.

"So and you are?"

"My name is Rosalie."

"Ah you must be in the same litter like Rose, Rosemarie and Rosaline right?"

Amazed stands the little Bunny in front of me.

"Yes… how do you know that?"

"It's a secret but maybe one day I tell you okay?"

"Okay."

I take her little head between my paws and give her the awaited smooch. Giggling she is running over to her siblings and maybe tells them about my magic abilities. But I just understood how Bonnie or one of her older daughters names her kits.

Jimmy and Cathy come over to me and stand themselves in front of me.

"What you two also want a smooch? Didn't you two exchanged enough for today?"

I grin at them and see that this time Cathy is blushing like she normally does and Jimmy keeps it together, well let's say a little bit better than earlier.

"Not yet maybe later. What do you think Nick, a warm tea in front of the fireplace? I finally want to know your story."

"Oh this will take time, a lot of time…"

"Hours?"

"No more like weeks."

We walk over to the fireplace, the amount of bunnies is slowly sinking in the hall.

The two taking a couch and making themselves comfortable. I for myself take an armchair in front of the fire, which is definitely for mammals bigger than foxes or bunnies but hey at least it's comfortable. Because of that I sit myself in a tailored seat position, knowing that my bunny will come back and she also needs a place near by me to sit.

"So you two, what do you want to know?"

Surprisingly it is Cathy who starts to ask me.

"What did you do before you met Judy? She just said that you had a business? A shop or something like that? I mean you know so many stories, you seem to have an interesting live."

Oh man the best question directly for the start.

Jessica who is finally back from the lecture that Judy gave her is sitting herself in the smaller armchair to my right but it seems she also was showering.

"Listen, Judy said I should be honest to you and I will be but it can be that you don't want to talk to me after this ever again. So…"

"Let it out Nick, can't be so bad…"

"First of all I left my home when I was 12. If you ask why, I can just say there were stupid reasons, which today look even dumber when I think about them. But I was not without a roof above my head if you assume that I knew how to get along. I'm not proud of it but from their on I made my money by hustling and scamming other mammals, selling stolen goods, taking money from mobsters and directing it to me. Every Time on the small line between crime and honest citizen, well till a little bunny caught me for something I never had in my mind…"

Jimmy asked confused.

"And that was?"

"Tax evasion."

All three look at each other and start to laugh. Yeah I know but honestly I deserve that.

"I had never paid one dollar on taxes and Judy found out. She gave me the options to help her with the nighthowler case or go to jail. I think you know what I chose."

I look around but nobody seems to hold a to big grudge against the work I once had.

"You three don't judge me for what I did in the past?"

Again it is Cathy which answer me.

"Nick, I think we all did things in the past that we regret, one more and the other less. That doesn't mean that you are a bad mammal, it just means you corrected your way and try to change something."

"Thanks Cathy."

Cathy nods and is now more than interested in my story.

"Okay but why do you stopped doing what you did and how did you came together with her?"

"Because of Judy, she asked me to become her partner in the force and without thinking about it, I said yes. After the case we almost spend everyday together, at first just as friends, I drove with her to her interviews, helped her with some public issues, we eat together every day, texting each other and so on. And one day I wasn't sure if this is still just friendship. It was also around that time when Judy was visiting you all here in August that I stopped completely with hustling, I just sat there and couldn't do it anymore because everytime I had a plan, I could hear her voice in my head that said 'Nick don't do that, you're better than this'. And it was this time that I knew I was fallen for her, completely, irreversible and forever. But I would say together are we since the day I went to the academy, which is by now just a week but it feels like years."

It was quiet between us four now. And I can hear the sound of Cathy, who tries to wipe away some tears.

"Oh come on, you were just a bad hustler and that is why you took the first opportunity for a real job."

Jessica grins at me and waits for my reply.

"Jessica!" "Jessica!"

Both Cathy and Jimmy shouted at her but I could just laugh about it.

"No Jess, I was the best. Everybody knew my name and I knew everybody. It was a law in the streets of Zootopia, if you need something then ask Nick Wilde for it."

"Oh come on! In all this year's how many money did you made, I bet it was not more than 100.000 $."

I lay my head back and close my eyes to remember the exact numbers.

"Everything till now or just what is left from the money?"

I take a quick look around, all three look very astonished at me, as if it was a joke from me.

"Okay from the day I left home till now I made 3.422.678 $ in total. From this left should be 2.543.766$ spread over the whole city of Zootopia in hideouts only I know."

I open my eyes and as I aspect all mouth are down and I look in even more astonished faces. Jimmy is the first who regained his ability to speak.

"That is a joke, right?"

"You mean like 275 siblings? I don't know? Carrots is that a joke?"

Again all eyes go to me but I still keep my smile. It takes some seconds until Judy walks slowly around my huge armchair and gives me a kiss on my cheek. Needless to say that all three looking a little bit amazed at us two.

"Okay, Why did I failed?"

"You and Jessica were showering but only she came back. But I could smell 3 things shampoo, Jess and you. Jess is sitting not so far away from me, which means you have to be in the same radius."

She stands herself in front of me and lays both of her paws around my snout. With a smile she draws me to her and gives me a kiss on the nose.

"I hope this nose will be in the daily police work as effective as now."

"That is one thing you can be sure about Officer Hopps."

With one jump she is on my lap and makes herself comfortable. One yawn and I know that she already reached her limit for today. Not to forget that she had almost no sleep last night because of the worries that kept her awake.

Her siblings still with widened eyes looking at her and waiting for a reply. Jimmy is finally the one who can't hold out the tension.

"And Judy, is Nick right?"

"Actually he is right."

"What? But how do you know?"

"Nick left a letter for me, in which he wrote that I should listen through his music collection, which is massively work for years, if you ask me. Anyhow Nick also wrote that I should especially listen to Mr Johnny Cash, I did as he said and directly behind it laid his account book and a paper I should sign…"

"And carrots did you signed it?"

"Nick I can't… I mean it is more than I could take but this is too much…"

"So you want to sit on the streets when something happens to me? I don't know if you know this but police work can be really dangerous Miss Hopps. And by the way who should stand on my balcony and look over the city? I think that is definitely your job my beauty."

Jess is now completely confused.

"Wait what the heck are you two talking about?"

"I left carrots a paper she should sign, with it she will become the second owner of my apartment but she seems to be a little stoic bunny, who wants to be begged."

I smile down at her but she replies just with a push of her elbows into my stomach. Jess seems to understand and tries to summarize the whole situation.

"Okay, okay, Judy you tell me this idiot behind you is since 6 days your mate, companion, whatever. And he is ready to give you half of his home? How did you do that? I thought I'm the seducer in this family...wait that means you could in no time move from your old, dirty and shabby apartment to his and live their?"

"Actually I'm living already there…"

This is too much for Jess she shakes her head and lays it into her paws. The fire in the fireplace is slowly going out, at the moment you can see nothing more than an orange and red glim which provides still enough warmth for everyone around but not for long.

"I'm done with her Jimmy, my sister is stupid…"

"I think it is a nice gesture from Nick, what do you think honey?"

Jimmy asks his bunny and Cathy replies with a node, she seems still to think about all the things she heard in the last moments. And for a short time it became quiet between us, at least until my phone begins to ring.

All eyes went again to me.

"Who is that Nick?"

"It's Pati...but she wrote me by now? What did she want?"

"Come on Slick, put the speaker on loud I want to hear that crazy vixen tonight."

"Hi Pati, everything al… "

"Oh don't you Pati me, I'm more than angry about you! You know that you owe me brother right? Well let's just say my favorite dress is from now on your list of things you have to repay!"

"What, wait… what is going on? Which dress?"

"The blue one you numbskull and if you try to play dumb, than ask your bunny she knows it, right Judy?"

Judy's heard the news from Pati and her eyes widen instantly.

"What your dress is busted, hows that? The blue one, with the sunflowers and the pockets?"

"Finally someone who understands me! It has pockets Nick! Pockets! Do you even know how long I searched for something like that? It is not just beautiful, which is till now confirmed through Stella and Judy, no it is also useful because of the pockets!"

I have no idea what is going on here, what for a dress? Why is she making such a ruckus about that? I mean it's just...

"But Pati it is just a dress…"

And then silence for a moment on both sides.

"..."

I can just hear how Jess replies to my answer.

"Oh boy, that was a big mistake Nick."

"Just a dress? Just a dress? Judy did you hear that? Listen carefully because this will be the thing he will say to you on your wedding. IT. IS. JUST. A. DRESS!"

Oh no, I could feel that I fucked up. I still don't know what happen right now but I know Jess is right, that was a big mistake...

"Bye Nick, I call you tomorrow."

Her voice is completely calm… she tricked me, maybe her dress was busted but this was not her main aime. Ohhh she tricked me...and now I have an angry bunny sitting in my lap.

"Pati, why?"

"NICHOLAS WILDE!"

And now she ends the call, this devilish vixen! I look slowly down to my bunny but try to keep my smile. Play cool Nick.

"So Mr Wilde you say that we female mammals 'just' wear dresses, they are nothing special? Like my blue dress I wear on the ferris wheel? Which you liked so much on me or so you said?"

"Listen Judy...I ...I… don't know…"

"Nick I know you can't understand this but my favorite piece of clothing is a dress. What is yours Cathy?"

"A dress."

Searching for help I look to Jimmy, who slightly hold up his paws which signals me clearly that this is my battle and from the first minute this battle was lost for me.

"Mhmm and Jess?"

"Dessous...no just kidding of course it is a dress."

She stands herself on my thighs and lays one paw under my snout, just to look directly into my eyes.

"And do you know what that means Nick?"

It is dead silent in the whole hall, we are the last ones here. But the tension for me is almost too much. I swallow a last time and wait for my punishment.

"No…"

"That means that you got fooled by 4 mammals and one of them is 350 miles away from here."

Cathy, Jessica and Judy starts to laugh about my not played tension but to my luck my bunny gives me quick kiss on the muzzle, to show that is was just a joke.

"What? I mean did I miss something?"

Judy is sitting herself back in my lap and closing her eyes.

"Nick, she has this dress 3 times. When we were shopping this week she bought it multiple times because she knows she comes often in contact with blood. But tomorrow you have to tell me what happened tonight with her, okay."

"Of course my lady."

"Good...that is...that."

Not even five seconds and she dozes off. Woah that was fast…

"Okay Nick, now that Judy is hunting criminals in her dreams, who was that on the phone?"

"That was my younger sister Patricia and that's basically all."

"Say what you want, I like her already."

"Great...okay now a question from me to you 3…"

I look around but Cathy is also fallen asleep.

"Okay than just you two. Why are you not surprised that I'm a fox or that Judy not came with a buck back to your burrow?"

Both look at each other and start to laugh for a short moment. Did I miss again something? Jimmy finally explains the situation to me.

"Listen Nick, Judy was her whole life different from all the other bunnies in this burrow. Maybe from all the other bunnies in this world. We love her and know that she will do great things but she was never good at dating or finding the right one for her. She had some dates but it all turned out the same way, she comes home, screaming what for a huge idiot that was and exclaims that she will never ever in her whole life date somebody again."

Jess continues with the story her brother began.

"You can imagine how curious we were as she said that she has a boyfriend now and how crazy we went as she said that you are a fox. But somehow with all the crazy ideas in her life, becoming the first bunny in the police, cracking the biggest case in the history of Zootopia, having a predator-prey relationship with a fox as the first in...I don't know ever? It just fits in the pictures of her. Normal is not Judy's way of life but this is also not yours am I right Mr Wilde?"

I chuckle about her last sentence. Yeah she is right normality was never something for me and when I look down at Judy I know that it will never be.

"So, I go to bed and if I were you, then you should put your bunnies also to bed. Because you know just a well rested bunny is a happy bunny."

Jess stands up and leaves our little group with a yawning, waving a last time with her paw. I look over to Jimmy and he just nodes, it is time and we both know that.

"I show you Judy's room, it is not far away from mine and Cathy's."

I took Judy easily in my paws and carry her like a bride but Jimmy had to take Cathy on his back and give her a piggyback ride back to their apartment.

"Do you need help?"

Smiling he replied to me.

"Nope, my bunny my responsibility. Besides you helped me today more than I ever thought you could."

"I? I didn't do anything. I just played some songs, told a story and made some jokes, I don't think that this counts as help."

"Sometimes is a song, a story, some jokes or someone who listens to old memories everything we need Nick."

"I know it sounds strange but I'm glad that you shared this with me. This morning I thought you bunnies would chase me through the streets with pitches and forks like Frankenstein's monster. So I never thought I could find one friend besides Judy in her family but it turns out you are all a pretty cool bunch of carrot eating mammals. And now I know you better, Cathy, Jess… oh and not to forget all the little bunnies in the burrow. It really feels like home...I know it sounds strange..."

"Not one bit."

What an odd scene. Together we are walking with our bunnies through the dark and silent burrow aiming for our place to rest. After 5 minutes we reach Judy's room.

"So Nick here we are. Make yourself comfortable and sleep in, tomorrow is Sunday. And even most of the bunnies will do the same thing."

"I will try. Good night you two and try not to be so loud in the you know what I mean."

I blink over to him and he smiles like always his shame away.

"Haha Mr Wilde but we wish you also a good night and oh lock the door if you don't want to have a bunch of little bunnies in the middle of your room."

"I will keep it in mind."

Jimmy walks on with the sleeping Cathy on his back and disappears behind the next curve.

I stand for a moment in front of Judy's door and watch at first my beautiful sleeping bunny and then the door to her room.

Judith L. Hopps

Her full name in purple color is the only thing that is written on her door. I went into it and take a quick look around. On the left side her bed, right in front of me a desk with a lot of books on it and an older laptop. The right side is mainly covered from a huge book shelf and a little door that leads to a small bathroom with a shower. I can see that my guitar and my bag are standing at the chair to Judy's desk.

I keep the lights out, not that I need them, place her softly on the bed and cover her with a blanket. I keep it short and take not a long time under the shower. Trying to dry my damp fur in her room, I look over her books and ask myself what she likes to read...every book over Sherlock Holmes, even more crime, thriller, some drama, looks almost like a cop of Pati's shelf, no wonder they got along so well. Hello? What do we have here? 50 shades of fur… ohohoho Miss Hopps that saves me my munition for the next week's and I can promise you I will have so much fun. I scroll through the sites and find even little notes from her and that is something she can't deny. I know her handwriting and this is definitely hers.

Smiling I turn around to her and place myself besides her in the bed. She is fast asleep but I decide to watch her for a while until the sleeps finally drags me into it's depths. Her nose slowly twitches and I can't hold back, I have to caress her cheek. Two little strokes and I can see a smile on her face, she is not awake but she reacts instinctively by sliding over to me and burying her face into my chest. I take my paws and grab her in a deep but relaxed hug, her head now directly under my muzzle, my left paw on her back and my right paw on the back side of her head. I know that she will not hear my next words but I don't care.

"I love you Judy."

I gave her a last smooch on the head and drift slowly into sleep. With a little bit of luck, I even dream of my own little lucky charm.

"Is he awake?"

"I don't know…"

"But his nose is moving…"

"His ears are moving to."

What a strange dream. Someone is standing beside my bed and talks with himself? No with each other, there are more… bunnies? Yes right bunnies, I'm in a burrow. And I'm here with Judy...and soon I will look into her beautiful purple eyes. I just have to open my eyes and see they are ...green and ...blue and... brown and… green again...what is going on. But that is definitely a bunny, oh now I get it, it is one but not my bunny. But where is mine? I can smell her for sure…

Like I said a strange dream but then my brain kicks back in and I remember Jimmy's last words from yesterday. Lock the door or you will have a bunch of bunnies in front of your bed. I open my eyes and see, it was no dream but what is more frightening he was right. But in the middle of the room stand the 'R' siblings. Rose, Rosaline, Rosemarie and Rosalie standing in front of me and looking amazed at my red fur and my white chest.

"Hey girls, you can't sleep?"

"But uncle Nick we are long up and want to eat breakfast with you."

Slowly I get up and sit myself on the edge of the bed.

"Really, wow. Can you say me how… wait there is my phone. 7:08 am that's pretty early...are you sure you don't want to sleep some more?"

"No uncle Nick we are hungry."

"Can we please eat with you?"

"I even wear my fine dress."

Oh no not again a discussion about dresses...

What am I doing here? I'm sitting on the edge of my girlfriend's bed, on a Sunday morning at 7:08 and discuss with four little bunnies about their breakfast. And why do they have to make this puppy face?

"Alright, alright I come to eat breakfast with you, okay?"

"YEAH!"

"Pssst! Your sister, aunt whatever still sleeps, wait a minute in front of the door, will you?"

"Yes uncle Nick."

And like little gnomes they stumble giggling out of the room. Still a little bit dizzy I look around me and try to stand up but it is not working. Something is holding me down. And a quick look behind me under the blanket reveals the mystery. Judy clasps to my tail and she doesn't seem to let go of it so easily. Nick you know how strong those legs are, so be definitely careful.

I discover a longer pillow at the end of the bed and exchange it slowly with my tail. One thing is sure she is not very delighted about the trade-off but I swipe three times with my tail over it and mark it with my scent. Judy seems to recognize this and starts instantly to smile.

"Good one bunny happy, four to go."

I slowly start to dress myself with a black T-shirt and some pants… and think about the fact everyone is so fixated on the tails of foxes…

Anyhow, I walk a last time over to Judy, cover her with the blanket and give her kiss. Again she starts to smile and what should I say, that is everything for me to start a good day.

In front of the door I stop for a short moment before I can use the door handle. The old me would just lock the door, turn around and lay back to my bunny. But not anymore, no matter how much I want this, I made a promise. And I should not forget I'm no longer alone, I'm part of a family and this means responsibilities…

Oh jeez I almost sound like a real adult…

I step outside and talk to the little ones.

"So girls? Hungry?"

 **Judy**

I open my eyes and am a little bit surprised, my room is not what I awaited. An armchair in front of the fireplace yes but here? Hmmm Nick seems to carry me over to my room but where do he know where it is… stupid brain…

Everything in here smells like Nick but he is not here. But I know he was, in the night I was awake for a short moment and I know he laid directly besides me…

Come on bunny, time to get up and to check what your fox is doing. Hopefully the main part of the burrow is still standing.

Without further thinking I jump from my bed, go to my closet and choose some undies, a top and a jeans for the day. Five minutes later and with that 9:20 I walk into the living hall where Jimmy, Tommy and Cathy are sitting and eating her breakfast. I sit myself to them because those three are always a good company.

"Ahh, look Tommy, your aunt Judy is finally back from dead."

"You were dead aunt Judy?"

Jimmy shakes his head but looks a little bit irritated.

"No… It is just something you say when someone sleeps for a long time."

"Ah, okay I get it dad."

I stick my tongue out to Jimmy who takes smiling a sip from his coffee. Cathy meanwhile looks to the cereals she is eating and asks with a slight blush.

"I hope you two had a good night."

"A good night yes but if you are implying anything, then no. I was sleeping like a stone and this morning he is gone…. Do you know where he is?"

Both shaking with their heads.

"Good morning, Judith. Are you looking for your fox?"

Mum comes over from the sink and dries her paws in a cloth.

"Mum! Yes, you know where he is? What happened, I already thought he run away from all the bunnies…"

"Oh not in the slightest Judith, he was the whole morning here taking care of the little ones, especially Amandas kits and helping me with the dishes. You know the four little girls, all with rose in their names…"

"He...what? How?"

"It seems like he forgot to lock the door to your room and the four wanted absolutely to eat breakfast with him. They woke him up and he agreed to their plan but only if they let you sleep. Yes that was about 7:15 and since 8 he is helping Stew cleaning the barn, where yesterday happened a little accident."

"I told him to lock the door! Ahh typical first world burrow problems…"

"But why did he let me sleep? I mean I could help him…"

"Nicholas said, you had a hard night before you came here, so he wanted to let you sleep. He said you thought a lot about yesterday."

Jimmy and Tommy are already finished with their breakfast and Jimmy gives Cathy a last kiss before they go.

"Come on champ, let us take a look what grandpa Stew and uncle Nick are doing? What do you think?"

"Yes dad!"

After the two have left, mum turns herself to me. I look at her and she seems to be a bit sad.

"Mum is everything okay?"

She clasps on of her paw with the other and looks not directly at me, as if she wants to evade my gaze. But she doesn't has to, I can't understand what she is so worried about. To calm her a little bit down I lay my paw over hers and I can feel how she slowly stops to clasp her paw with too much force.

"Judy, I want to apologize to you. You were right about him and we shouldn't have doubt your choice. From all the males that ever entered this burrow, he is one of the nicest I ever met. I know his past is not the clearest but I know one thing for sure, he would never betray you or harm you in any way. If anyone in this world will suit to you, then it is him. And Judy no matter what you will do, you have our blessing."

I can't hold it together, I take mum in a big hug and then we are just sitting there in the middle of the bigger kitchen and crying like little kits.

"Thanks mum, that means a lot to me."

After some minutes we detach from each other and try to dry our tears.

"Oh jeez mum, we are such crybabies."

"I know almost like your dad."

Cathy and I look a little bit surprised at mum but we all three had to laugh about this unforeseen joke from her. Normally she is not the one who tells the best jokes.

"Judy I also have to thank you and Nick."

"Oh come on Cathy not you too, I mean seriously we don't need that thanks… But what did he do?"

"Two things, he gave us the address of a florist in Zootopia, his name is Otterton and second he said we can send some flowers to his mother and she will exhibit them in her restaurant. Isn't that great? I mean we don't know what will happen from here on but at least it is a starting point. All the other ones we asked doesn't wanted to help us or couldn't."

One day and he is already turning this burrow upside down. I hope we can do the same with Zootopia.

"That sounds good Cathy and I hope there will be a positive outcome from this. But now I need something to eat. Say mum who is helping those two in the barn?"

"The two? Nobody, as much as I know?"

I look at my watch, 9:44 am. Our train will leave in 2 hours from now on, still plenty of time and to my luck I have tomorrow the backshift, so I can stay overnight at the academy.

Without further discussion I start my breakfast with some granola, a banana and a small cup of coffee. I should drink not too much of this, my whole week is already determined by this black stuff. Ready for the day after 15 minutes, I stand up and go over to mum.

"Okay I will get my fox and then we have slowly to leave, anything you need from dad?"

"No, honey thank you."

Cathy who was reading something on her phone, turns to me and explained.

"Wait Judy, I come with you. I have to look for my boys or they get dumb ideas."

I smile at her and must really say I don't know what happened since yesterday but Cathy looks much more hopeful and not more so intimidated. If I wouldn't know that my fox was just yesterday on the edge to a mental breakdown because of the many bunnies that awaited him here, then I wouldn't believe that he is just now working with them as if he is living in the burrow with them since years.

Tommy and Jimmy sitting on the sideline and watching what Nick and dad are doing with the old tractor. It seems something crashed into it and I can imagine it was one of the hay balls that lay on the upper levels of the barn but some bunnies wanted to have some fun and pushed it together down.

"Okay Stew, next try…"

"Alright…"

Dad sits on the tractor and try to start the engine. But after the fifth attempt he stops and looks down to Nick who stands at the engine and thinks about something. Both are almost completely covered in hay, oil and dirt. I nearly couldn't realise that this is Nick who stands there and works on the machine.

We walk over to Jimmy and sit myself beneath him.

"What happened?"

"Hey sis, hey honey, they have for one hour cleaned up the barn and try now to repair the tractor. It is relatively urgent because from tomorrow on dad needs it to plough over the fields."

"And how are they doing?"

"Dad had for two times already a tantrum but Nick could keep him down and this is now their 12th attempt to start it."

"Ohoh"

"Yeah but you know dad has no patience, just like you."

"What like me? Thanks Jimmy, no gift for you to christmas."

"Pfff as if I need something…"

Nick seems to found something and starts to grin like a little kit.

"There we have it, there is still hay in one of the cylinders...wait...okay. Next try I'm sure the is our lucky number Stew."

Nick grins over his whole face to his father in law. But dad takes his time for this attempt, slowly exhaling he turns the keys around and after the second attempt we can hear the monotone sounds of a running tractor engine, followed by the screams of a unbelievable happy bunny, that jumps into Nick and hugs him like a son who returns from war.

"Oh my good, thank you, thank you, thank you Nick. Without you I had never repair this old piece of metal."

"Don't worry Stew, you had found the source of the problem sooner or later."

"Pah blueberries! I say it was your help, that found the problem so fast and that's it! No false modesty Nick!"

"Well at least we found it but now I have to make myself ready or Judy will think I'm a raccoon, trying to rob the burrow.."

"Don't worry slick, I think I will recognise my fox when I see him."

With an even bigger grin, he turns himself to me with his dirty fur and face.

"Carrots! What do you say, a little bit of cuddling before we return to the academy?"

"Ahh I think I refuse this time. But you are right we have to go soon and you have to shower."

Nick nods and turns himself over to dad.

"Alright Stew, I think it is time, unfortunately I can't help you with the cleaning."

"Oh come on you stupid fox. You helped me more than enough today. Make yourself ready, we wait here for you."

Nick's comes slowly closer to me but I can just in time dodge his attempt to cuddle me. Not this time Mr Wilde. We smile at each other and without starting another attempt to catch me, he walks in direction of the burrow but waves with his right paw back at us.

"Jude, I don't know where you found this guy but keep him, no matter what happens keep him."

"Dad, what? Didn't you said yesterday...well he is a fox and will never change?"

"Stupid talk of a stupid bunny Jude, just forget it."

With big grin on my face I give Dad a hug and whisper into his ears.

"I'm more than happy that mum and you came to this conclusion, thank you."

"Oh Jude, we have to apologize…"

"Don't worry, mum already did."

"She did? Good. You know I'm… well not so good at it and then I get teary and so one. Ah you know what I mean."

We sat us for the moment together with Jimmy, Tommy and Cathy to wait for Nick to come back, I hope he doesn't forget his bag and guitar...what do I think, as if he ever could forget his guitar, it is like he would forget his right arm.

After 20 minutes and some of Jimmy's terrible jokes later, he finally made it to us. But he is not alone, a huge crowd of small bunnies following him but with them is also mum, Jessica and Amanda. Grinning like a school kid on his first day he stands in front of me and I could imagine what shortly will follow.

"Look, carrots. They followed me, what do you think can we keep them? Oh please, please say yes."

Okay let's play a little bit with him.

"The train should be no problem for the most. But I don't think that there is enough space in the academy."

He waves with a paw at me, as if he tries to signal that I don't think in the right way.

"Ahh blueberries, if Nate, El and Stella would use lesser space than we could get without problems 20-30 of the smaller ones in one room, maybe even 40 if we can use the locker."

"Ehhmmm no. We will not put them in the locker, do you know how many mammals had their cloth in there?"

Jimmy finally intervenes our little game.

"You two not really discuss if you can take little bunnies with you?"

"Yes!" - "No!"

"Okay Jimmy, Cathy, Tommy and Stew. We two will miss you, so come here."

And without saying another word, we six come together for a last hug.

Nick grins and I can't resist to giggle loudly about this idiotic idea to take some bunnies with us. He accepts slowly that the game is over and turns himself to the mass of the bunnies, to hold a little speech. He would be such a good father… come on Judy not now...

"Guys and girls it was a crazy and eventful day for me and Judy. But unluckily we have to go back to the academy and learn how to catch criminals."

A long and loud 'Oooohhh' goes through the rows of small and bigger bunnies. A lot of disappointed faces looking up to me and Nick.

"But… we will be back for Christmas and if you think I'm a funny guy, than wait for my sister, you will find her hilarious."

Nick goes over to his guitar and takes it to play a last song. I already know which one and am happy to hear it again. I listen to his advice and work myself slowly through the mass of music he collected over the years. It is incredible how much he must have spent on it but otherwise this could explain the 1.1 million he spent over the time…

But something tells, there are also other reasons why such a big part is missing...

And with his old guitar he stands there in the door of the barn and plays "We'll meet again", like he ever do when he don't want to go and tries steal some time. And he really thought I wouldn't recognize that...dumb fox. All eyes and ears are on him and he enjoys it visibly. A huge crowd of bunnies moving their heads and bodies to the rhythm of Nick's song, it looks like a field of grass moving slowly in the wind,0 with all the pointed ears. And in the last verse of the song even myself, dad, Jimmy and Cathy start to sing with Nick. For him it is a perfect end of two days that didn't start so well.

"A great audience, as ever and we will miss you all for sure. Or what do you think carrots?"

"Of course we will slick. So bunnies don't do something stupid."

And with an enthusiastic grab I take the paw of my fox and walk with him through the rows of the bunnies. We both have to wave the whole time to al sides, to say goodbye to all available bunnies. One of the last bunnies in the row is mum, which stands herself in our way and holds a basket up to use.

"Judy told me already that you had some friends in the academy and I think Patricia and your mother will also appreciate some of them Nicholas."

Nick smiles with a very soft and warm gaze at mum, I don't know exactly about what they talked this morning in the kitchen but they seem to understand each other better now.

"Thank you Bonnie, I try to save some for the family and the mammals in the academy."

"Thanks mum."

I could feel that mum will give us one of her typical advises but she also seems a little bit teary.

"And you two, take good care of each other. You know winter is coming and...agh what am I talking, you are old enough…."

Without letting loose of the paw of my fox, we both take mum in a big hug in which more and more bunnies join. After putting all the little bunnies back to the ground Nick and I walk paw in paw to the street, I am still waving like crazy with my left arm but stop after the last one disappeared out of my sight. I don't how he did this without a free paw but Nick is munching some blueberries.

"Hey!? How did you?"

"Fox secret."

"Just… just keep the bowls for the others untouched, okay?"

"I try…"

"Nick?"

"Okay, okay will do."

"That's my fox."

We walk a while along the road until Nick turns around and we both take a last look at the burrow. I can see that he is smiling, something I just could hope for after the beginning of the last day and our drive from the academy.

"Judy?"

"Yes Nick."

"I could really imagine living here with you. Their burrow, our burrow I don't care, as long it is with you. For me this is a place to live far away from this damned city."

I know what he means and I turn myself with a sorrowful gaze to my fox.

"Nick, you…"

"Yes, I know. We have work to do… it was just a dream but I have to say it is a beautiful one."

He leans down to me and give me a long and romantic kiss, one of his paws directly on my cheek. We end it after some time but keep ourselves head to head with closed eyes.

"You are mine."

"And I'm yours."

Our vow, I don't know how many times we already exchanged it...

"And yes, it is really a beautiful dream."

I don't want to separate from him… not now and I think he feels the same way and stays like this for a little bit longer.

We are standing there for some more minutes, till I turn around and start dragging my fox behind me, to the railway station. I know he likes it here, well so do I. I mean it is home, so who wouldn't like it here? But I know that also some dark thoughts are mixed into the mind of my companion.

It took almost 20 minutes until Nick made his next joke but I could feel that his dark clouds slowly disappearing.

"Hey carrots, whom do you call when a mug gets mugged?"

"I don't know, whom?"

"The cups… oh come on THE CUPS, I told you already worser ones."

I start slightly to giggle but it is more about the fact how many jokes he tries to tell, then the joke he told me now.

Still 5 minutes and we arrive at the trainstation and of course nobody is here. Not that I would await somebody. All that someone could hear now is the yawning of a fox standing besides a bunny.

"Tired Mr Wilde?"

"A little bit but I think the main problem were the many smooches I had to give your family…"

He grins down at me and he know it would trigger me but in the same second our both phones vibrate. He took his one out but didn't break the eye contact with me.

"Oh come on, as if ...what is? Something wrong?"

Nick is looking with widened eyes on his phone but I don't understand what is going on.

"Nick?"

"You...ehm...you should look yourself. I think...mhm… Pati send you the same picture…"

Without long hesitation, I take my phone out and look for the notifications and yes Pati send me a photo and oh yes, I understand now, why Nick is a little bit shocked…

What we saw? Pati took a selfie from herself with her tongue stretched out in bed but that is not the interesting point. The interesting point is the obviously sleeping Stella right besides her. I am still looking at it and try to imagine the discussion that we will have in the academy tonight, nothing negative but Nick is already preparing something for Stella. How I know? Oh let's just say, his grin tells me everything I need to know.


	15. Together we stand, Together we fall

**15\. Together we Stand, Together we Fall**

 _"Good friends don't let you do stupid things alone" - Unknown_

 **Elliot**

"Don't you think we should tell them, that we know that they are a couple?"

"And miss all the fun? Nope."

"I'm not sure about this El, is it not a little bit distrustful not to tell them?"

"It is also distrustful not to tell us, I mean we are friends…"

"Yes El but… I mean they are the first who would live something like that, you know what would happen if this comes out. Especially what would happen to Judy, she has a reputation to protect."

I look for a short moment up to Nathan who sits straight across the room on his bed and reads in his books for the academy.

Maybe he is right, nowadays you can't be careful enough, you never know who wants to plot something against you. But anyway they could have told us…

It is a boring weekend and we two are mainly doing nothing...okay some hacking and binge watching but basically that is the definition of doing nothing at least for me. Stella is in Zootopia, Judy and Nick in Bunny Burrow and Trevor… I don't know where the hell he is and honestly I don't care. Stupid hare…

But they will not be back until this afternoon and till then, I have nothing to do...wait maybe I can help Nathan with something. _Since when I'm so generous?_

"Nate, say did you ever tried to search for your parents?"

He looked confused over to me but seem to think about this option.

"Actually no, why do you ask?"

"I'm bored and need something to do and I remembered what you said about them. So what do you think, wanna try and hack a little bit the city administration?"

I grin over to him and wait for a reaction but I know him already good enough to know that he take this opportunity.

"Ahh I don't know maybeee… a screw it, let's search for them."

"That's the spirit."

"Is this equally bad as doogling your own name?"

"I don't think so, I mean we are searching for your parents not you. So when did you come into the orphanage and where?"

"The place where I lived is the 'Sunvalley Orphanage' in the meadowlands and I came there with 3 or 4 but can barely remember anything. I just have some images about my parents in my mind, everything else is just blurry. I know that not my parents brought me there but I can't tell who it did or why, I was simply to small. Everytime I tried to ask the oldest of the orphanage they just send me away. Even back then I found it strange but at some point I just accepted it and put it in the back of my mind but maybe it is now the right time to find them or at least their names."

I look up to him and am a bit shocked, I hadn't thought that his origin is so unclear.

"That sounds all very mysterious to me."

"Yeah I know but at one point you just accept it and think it is...well normal."

And without further asking, I go to the Sunvalley website and do my usual business. Check the site, check the IP, try to connect to the IP and five minutes of brute force attack against the root user account with the help of a rainbow table and it is done. Much too easy...

"Okay I'm in."

"What? Where?"

"The server of the orphanage."

"Really? You always do as if it is a piece of cake."

"It IS a piece of cake. You have no idea how many idiots work in this field of profession…, okay the database, let's make it easy for the beginning and search for 'Nathan Graham'..."

That is not possible...I mean...yes it is possible but how? Something is not right...

"Are you sure that you lived for 15 years in this orphanage?"

Nathan starts to laugh about my question but I'm serious.

"Nate I'm serious… you are not in the database…"

"What?"

With a confused face he comes over to me, sits beside me and look at the queries I tried. But no matter how I type his name the result is everytime the same: results 0.

"Oh great, not enough that I have no more parents, now I don't even exist?"

"At least not in this orphanage...strange."

"Okay next stop the mammal register of zootopia…"

I enter the site for the civil servants, who administer the city. But which account should I use to log myself into the system? I have to choose wisely or it will be obvious that they are no real existing mammals. Karl? No, not again him. Debby? No, this would be noticeable…. Ah Shauna, perfect.

"El, how the hell can you…?"

"I told you, I'm good at what I'm doing and I do this for a while now and never been caught. Well at least not from the police but this topic is also soon one of the past, then I can do this legally."

"Yes but hacking some small server in the middle of nowhere in the internet is one thing but break into the administration network of the city?"

I just smile at him but I can see that he is really worried about the things I'm doing...

"Don't worry, no one ever thinks they got hacked until it is too late. And the bigger the organisation, the easier it is. The left paw doesn't know what the right paw is doing and the management just wants that the network and the systems are working. You know the old saying 'If ain't broken, don't fix it' or how other say 'Never change a running system'?"

"Ehm...yeah, I mean who doesn't know this?"

"This sentence is the greatest bullshit ever told. The IT is the fastest changing industry ever created and some management dickheads came up with that cool slogan. But if you don't change, you get old and vulnerable and with that you die or like in the case of the administration of Zootopia - you get hacked. In fact changing, learning and adapting are the only things that keep us alive."

Nathan watches with interest how my paws fly over the keyboard and how the text changes on the console on my screen in no time. No fancy windows, icons or such crap. That is something you see just in some crazy Dollywood productions, in real life you would just use a terminal with black and white text and the internet is yours. Well If you know how…

"Okay, let's see what we find here. I know that there is a central register for every child that becomes an orphan in Zootopia, they take those things really serious…so second try for 'Nathan Graham' and enter."

We both stare at the screen and can't believe what is standing there: results 0.

"No that is not possible, you must stand somewhere, that is not… I mean…"

Nathan started again with smiling, how can he be so damned relaxed in such a situation?

"Maybe I really don't exist?"

"Bullshit, you have an identity card and with this…"

"Yes?"

"Give me your id card, I need to verify something."

Without further question or any sign of mistrust Nathan searches in his belongings for the card. Everyone in Zootopia has something like this, or you can't live, work or do anything else here. You need it to officially do anything in this city. It is not like you are under complete surveillance all the time but they know the key facts about you and they give you a status like citizen, new citizen or honorable citizen. The first is the standard for every mammal that is born in Zootopia, every mammal that moves here will get the title new citizen and after 5 years it changes to citizen, an honorable citizen is someone who worked especially hard for the community and the interests of Zootopia. I never checked it but Judy should have the title honorable citizen for her work in the Nighthowler Case and yes with something like this she ends directly the stage of being a new citizen. But why this separation you ask?

Well, it is basically about, who is allowed to vote. New citizen aren't, citizen can vote and only honorable citizen can be elected for official positions. Easy and reliable since 15 years.

"Here you go."

Nathan is holding his card up to me and I take it without reaction. Not even one minute and we have the complete datasheet of Nathan in front of us and what should I say, it is very clean. And with clean I mean there is no entry except the fact that Nathan has the status 'new citizen', which can not be. He is born in Zootopia and lives at least since 15 years for sure in this city...

"Okay one thing is for sure now, someone changed your personal information but the big question is why? Any suggestions?"

Nathan has a very thoughtful expression on his face but doesn't answer straight to my question. And the question, that finally came from him is very serious and in no way rhetorical.

"Who can do something like this?"

"Hacker like me, mammals in the administration you can bribe and I'm sure there are some, federal government organisation, some crime organisations, mammals with enough money or..."

Nathan interrupts me suddenly but I don't say anything, even I can see that he is annoyed.

"So basically everyone in this damned city could have done it?"

"Basically… yes."

I try at least to see anything good in our findings but honestly it is just a little consolation and I know that.

"At least we know that something is not right…"

"No it could also be a mistake from the administration…"

"What makes you think that?"

With a slight smile on his face he turns to me.

"We are not perfect El, we make mistakes, they make mistakes and this could also be a mistake. I'm a nobody, why would anyone want anything from me? I'm not even a fully trained police officer."

"Yes but…"

"No buts, I think you see something that isn't there El, honestly you have spent too much time with this stuff and developed a little bit of paranoia. Maybe my stuff got lost in the orphanage, maybe the administration made a mistake, who knows?"

I want to protest at first but maybe he is right… maybe the hiding and running away is slowly setting on my nerves… I should relax, take a deep breath and watch some cartoons, this always gets me down but first...

"Where do you go?"

"Toilette. Can you check my mails in the meantime?"

"Sure, why not."

I really trust this guys way too much...but somehow it feels nice to have someone around whom you feel related to and that you can rely on. That Judy and Nick don't tell everyone in our little group about their relationship with each other scratches a little bit on my ego but it is not that I don't trust them anymore.

Slowly I walk back to our room but it is not that I have any hurry. The whole academy is like a morgue, everyone is back to their families or has something else to do. Well besides me and Nathan, we are maybe completely different but this is something that binds us together. Till now I must say becoming part of the force was one of the best decision in my life.

I turn into the room and grin at Nathan, who sits still on the same place. But he acts strange, well at least for someone like him. With widened eyes he stares at the laptop, I still don't know what is going on. With a confused gaze I ask him.

"Everything alright Nate?"

Still with wide eyes he turns himself to me and answers slowly.

"No, it...see for yourself."

Taking my laptop into my paws and read the mail I catched from the mailserver of the academy. Yeah I also took control over this, you never know when you need an email or a official mail account...so... don't judge me.

I read the mail but have to read it again to fully understand what is going on. Okay I even need to read the whole thing a third time to get the situation we are from now on in. I look over to Nathan and try to answer but the only thing I get out is, well…

"Fuck…"

Nathan nods and tries to smile.

"Yeah, that is pretty much the same I had in mind."

 **Judy**

3 hours in the train with my fox but this time without annoying mammals that tell us what is wrong and what is right. Which means we could use most of the time with cuddling and sleeping and yes I know that I smell like fox now but there is nobody in the academy today, so to quote a police chief I know: 'Who cares'.

With closed eyes I lean against Nick, who is watching outside the window where the world turns slowly from summer to autumn. He wanted to make it as comfortable as possible for me, so he used his tail as a blanket and covered me with it. Mammals who walk past our two seats can't even see me, just my ears which point out from time to time to check my surroundings, reveal my whereabouts. But if I don't concentrate enough then I fall back to sleep, which is nice but then I miss my time with him.

"Naptime is almost over fluff, we reach Woodbury in 5 minutes."

Grumbling I reply from under his tail to him.

"Oohhh just 5 more minutes, please?"

Like so often he gives me a smooch on the head and takes his phone out of his shirt pocket to check for new notifications. Seems like there are new ones.

"Sorry carrots maybe next time...say, Stella wrote she arrives in ten minutes and asks when we will do. Do we wait for her?"

My spirits are back after this message and within a second my ears point again out to the ceiling, I almost hit Nick in the eye with my right ear.

"Sorry…"

"You should get a weapon license for those fluff. So what do you say?"

I grin up to him but snuggle again into his fluffy tail.

"Of course we wait for our new sister-in-law."

"One thing is for sure, this family constellation will become really confusing in the future..."

"Come on, over 250 bunnies and some foxes, where is the problem slick?"

"Are you sure it ends there?"

"What do you mean with that?"

"I don't know, we two have the talent to meet the strangest mammals, so who knows."

With a grin on his face he leans down to me, takes my cheek into his right paw and gives me a deep and lovely kiss. But something's not right and after some seconds I know what it is. Slightly annoyed I look up to him.

"What is...did I do something...wrong?"

"Nick!"

"What? No really what did I do wrong?"

"You taste like blueberries!"

Okay cuddle time is finally over, I stood up to him and press Nick's shoulders against his seat. He is still grinning at me but not much longer.

"Show me the basket."

His grin vanishes instantly from his face and is replaced by a excusing look. He know exactly what he has done.

"Judy... really I don't think we have to discuss this now, here in the train with all the other mammals…"

"Show! Me! The basket!"

"Judy...you know that I love you right? And...and we shouldn't be divided over such small instances...like fruits...or…"

Okay fox, you crossed a line.

"Nicholas Piberius Wilde! The basket!"

"Okay, okay it is under my seat…"

I jump down to secure what is left and am a little bit shocked, the half of his bowl is gone. When did he do this? Did the I sleep so long and hard? But he seems not to have touched the other ones. Good for him...

"I take the basket from now on."

"Killjoy."

Slightly I smile up to my fox and lend him a paw as a little peace agreement. He seems to accept by taking it and stepping down to me. He has still this excusing look on his face.

"Not such a sad face Nick, at least you took none from the others, which means no prosecution by the authorities or with other words by me."

With a huffy face he turns to me and we both go to the exit of the train. He replies to me in an almost whispering voice.

"Pfff you can talk, you had all of your life more than enough delicious blueberries whiskers."

Almost singing I reply to him.

"I can hear you, darling."

And also singing he replies back to me.

"That's the aim carrots."

Grinning and looking at the significant other we are standing at the door and waiting for it to open.

It took us almost 5 minutes to find a good place to wait for Stella and again 5 more till she finally arrives. Smiling walks the white vixen slowly over to us but as soon she comes nearer Nick and I start to grin. One quick exchange of glances between us two and we know what the other thinks.

"Do you see what I see whiskers?"

"I think so, looks like Pati left Stella a little parting gift."

On Stella's left cheek is a big hickey made from Pati's beloved pink lipstick and she doesn't even seem to know it...

But the closer she came and see our grin, the more her smile turns into a face that just says 'No, please, no.' and I bet she would love nothing more in the moment then to turn around and drive back to Pati. Deeply exhaling she stands in front of us and wait for the teasing.

"You two already know about me and Pati, right?"

"Yes." - "Yes."

Our synchrony is as always fascinating.

"From her?"

"Yes." - "Yes."

"And you two are not surprised?"

"No." - "No."

"And you two have nothing against me and Pati?"

For a short moment Nick and I look at each other with widened eyes but start in the next second loud to laugh, it is even so loud that a lot of the mammals in the station turn around and try to understand what is going on here. Stella does not seem to bother too much about us, I bet the day with Pati has hardened her a bit. Okay I think that was a little bit mean of us...

"Are you two ready?"

Nick who finds his breath faster than I, lays both of his paws on Stella's shoulders.

"Ahaha Puuuh...aah Stella, you really ask US both if we approve something like this? There is nothing to approve because there is nothing wrong. Listen, I think I speak for carrots and myself if I say every love is good love, so be good to her and we are more than fine."

Nick let his words sink into Stella who still seems unsure about all of this but starts slowly to smile. She really thought we could have something against her and Pati.

"Oh and before I forget it Stella, welcome to the family, I couldn't ask for a better sister in law than you."

"Thanks…"

And with his last words he takes the surprised but happy Stella in a hug. She even chuckles about his words.

"... but Nick we are just dating, I don't know if this will be forever, I hope it is but...you never know."

But Nick just keep grinning at Stella.

"Maybe but my bets are on you both and I heard from a little red bird, that you already told her three really important words, that any woman wants to hear."

Stella's eyes widen and I can see that she blushes a little bit on the inside of her ears. One paw on her cheek and another around her tummy is she standing in front of us worrying about the three little words she told Pati.

"It's weird right? I shouldn't have done that, maybe she thinks now bad about me. Damned… I know it was the wrong time and much too early...I fucked up right? Nick? Judy?"

I take one of her white paw into mine and try to comfort her as good as I can but she is back in her thoughts.

"Stella?"

She seems in deep thought or should I better say in deep worries. But I can understand her, not long ago and I was in a similar situation.

"Y-yes?...sorry Judy."

"Do you want to know what I think?"

"Oh god, yes please!"

"You did the right thing. If you would have not said it, the questions about what would have happen would bother you way more and you would search for the perfect moment to tell her. But this moment will never come because it was already there, the first time you felt it and yeah… you did everything right Stella."

She exhales deeply and looks with a little smile to me.

"Thank you Judy."

"Again and again my friend."

"But the question I asked myself dear Stella, do you really mean it? Do you really love her?"

With anger in my eyes I turn around to my fox, just to see the typical teasing smile of him. But I couldn't believe he would go this far! Stop it dumb fox!

"Nick!"

And with a voice full of determination and no hesitation she answers him.

"Yes."

Like so oft Nick smiles light, turns himself around and starts to walk with bag and guitar on his back out but not without saying some words.

"Good, that is the answer I wanted to hear from you. You have my blessing."

I still can't believe he did that...

Stella who starts to move, also shows a little smile on her face and I can feel that she hoped for that outcome. But there is still the little present from Pati…

"Stella wait, you have there… mmh let's say a small gift from Pati. Can you please bow down a bit?"

At first she looks confused at me but she does how I ask her to. While I help her with the lipstick that is still on her fur, I whisper into her ear.

" _I'm happy for you two but if you ever need somebody to talk that has not the name Wilde by birth, come to me I know they can be an exhausting bunch of foxes and sometimes you just want to let it out."_

" _Thanks Judy, I think I will take this opportunity faster than I imagine."_

The lipstick is harder to remove than I think… jeez Pati you devil

" _How was the first meeting with your parents?"_

" _Actually pretty good, they like him but that is something that is getting to his head. Till now one bunny liked him but now there are over 200 of them...but you will see for yourself."_

" _Myself?"_

" _Yeah Christmas? Pati already prepared everything in her head and wants this really badly and you know when she has something in her head, than she will do it for sure. So I hope you will survive all that fluff."_

" _Ohh I think I will."_

" _Good because they never saw a white fox and didn't wanted to believe Nick, that something like this really exists."_

And with that the last bit of color is removed.

"Okay Stella, as good as new."

Together we leave the station and search for Nick, who is in talk with two older hedgehog women.

"...and have a nice day ladies."

"Oh believe me we will handsome."

Giggling and in good mood turning the two old ladies around and walk in direction of a Cafe. It seems they asked him for good coffee at this time of the day where the sun is slowly setting on the horizon. We three started to walk in direction of the academy.

"Two minutes out of my reach and you already look for alternatives slick?"

"Possibilities whiskers, it's called possibilities."

With his sunglasses on his nose he grins at both of us and I give him as an exchange a slight poke...with my fist in his right sight. With very poor attempts he tries to breath but it seems my punch was harder than I wanted it to be. Sorry Nick...

"Ufff… your luck that you are so cu-... I mean adorable carrots, adorable."

"Saved in the last second Mister Wilde but your luck seems to run out after the blueberry incident."

Smiling he turns to me.

"Ah come on you know you love me carrots."

I look up to my fox with a neutral expression but decide in the last second for an impish smile.

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do."

Stella is rolling with her eyes and chuckles about our sight. Sarcastic she replies from the site.

"You two are so adorable, I almost have to throw up."

Stella maybe tried to start this little teasing game but she forgot one important fact, she played this game with Nick and to win this you need some good aces up your sleeve or you will lose. And believe me you don't want that he wins.

"Oh Miss Conroy, I almost forgot but good that out remind me, can you tell me how this picture is originated?"

Nick holds up his phone in front of Stella and she looks with widened eyes at the picture that Pati send us this morning.

"This damned vixen! Okay that's it, it's over just before it began! I will call her right away…"

With her phone in the hand she stands there on the sidewalk of Woodbury and thinks about what she will do now. Biting her bottom lip and turning the phone in her paw she is not sure if she should really call Pati or just let it slide. But I know Nick will not let it slide.

He lays one arm around Stella's shoulder and speaks loud enough for both of us to hear.

"Give it up Stella. You have fallen for her...she could post nude pics of you all over the net and you would still love her. Resistance is futile my dear…"

"Oh shut up Nick!"

With soft force she pushes Nick's arm from her shoulders, puts her phone angry back into her pocket and walks offended in front of us. For some minutes we both smile at each other and walk some meter behind her, we know that she will not pout forever.

Or maybe that was too much? I look with a questioning gaze up to my fox but he seems to know what I want to tell him and just shakes his head. Sometimes it frightens me a bit how good we understand each other.

"Oh come on Stella, we can just see your head on the photo and honestly I think the rest of your fur is also white, so what's the big deal?"

Stella lets her head hanging but stands still for a moment and waits for us to catch up. Together we walk now in a straight line on the sidewalk, leaving the inner part of the little city behind us. Stella looks a little bit confused but is still willing to talk to us.

"I don't know, I'm not used to rely on the same mammals for so long and what I told Pati is something I never told anyone before. It just felt like... I don't know - betrayal, that she send you this photo. I mean why did she does that?"

Nick exhales sharply about Stella's question, he looks a little annoyed at Stella, almost as if he tries to give her the information on a telepathic way.

"You still don't get it, heh? Have you even read what she wrote under the pic? My sister is maybe sometimes a little bit… well unusual but she would never do something that really hurts you, that is the thing I can promise you. And now read."

Even more confused she turns to Nick and read what stands under the photo. I have to smile because I know how she will react about the sentence. Nick and I could almost feel her embarrassment, well at least we could see her read ears.

"Oh...that's...that's...sweet. Oh god...I'm so stupid…"

What Pati wrote under the photo? The following.

 _Look! I found a white treasure in the city and I think I will keep her. \\(^o^)/_

Smiling I stroke slowly over Stella's back and try to comfort her because she still lets her head hanging, okay understandably.

"Don't worry, we will not tell her right Nick?"

"Well, I'm not so…"

"Nick! Do I really have to remind you of the blueberry incident, just minutes ago?"

A quick shock went fast over Nick's face, he turns to Stella and node like crazy.

"Of course we will not tell her, fox promise."

I smile over to him and see that he is slowly relaxing. But he is still interested in the last day and especially what happened to his friend. Nick told me in the train about Finnick and his wound but he also don't know what exactly took place.

"Say Stella how is Finnick doing?"

"He's doing okay. I mean he had a big hole in his left side but Pati fixed him pretty well. She gave him a little blood transfusion from herself and…"

Stella goes instantly silent and seems to remember something about the last day, something unpleasant...

"Nick? Do I have to know something about Pati's medical condition? I don't know diseases or anything similar?"

Nick exhales sharply and looks a little bit depressed to us two.

"So you recognized it? What happened?"

"Like I said she donated some blood to Finnick but in the moment she tried to stand up, she had a blackout. The amount of the blood she gave to him was not very high, so I wondered how something like this could happen. But don't worry I could catch her and took care, she was then for some minutes unconsciousness."

I'm shocked, I hadn't thought that something like that could have happened to Pati. I mean this lively fox that has more energy than a power plant? I hope it is nothing to bad… but Nick's gaze is not the best and it reminds at the meeting with Void. He steps in front of us and stops our walk.

"Okay you two, listen. The next info is just for you Judy as her best friend and you Stella as her girlfriend... Pati... is born with a congenital heart disease. Right after her birth she had multiple operations. Now she is basically fine with her body and her heart but…"

Stella and my eyes widen and we answer at the same time.

"But?" - "But?"

"...sometimes but very rarely she can have blackouts, for example when she exerts too much or in the case of the blood donation. That is also the reason why she is not so tall or why she is not good at running, short tracks are okay but too much and she needs some time to recover, her whole metabolism is slower than that of a normal fox. But after telling you both this, you two have to promise me something!"

Stella and I look at each other and don't understand what Nick means with the promise.

"Nick, we don't know what you…"

"Just promise it Judy and you to Stella!"

I glance at Stella but she is as surprised about Nick as I am. Once I heard such sincere words from him and I didn't like them.

"I promise." - "I promise it to."

Nick gaze is very serious and both of us know whatever follows is important for him and he will not argue with us about it.

"Even after you know that about her, you two will not dissuade her in any of her decisions. No matter how much it will bother you what she does, do you understand? She is a normal mammal and not some cripple or handicapped one, are we clear? And to give you two a good advice, don't talk with her about that - ever! If there is one topic in this world that brings her to rage, than it's this."

He starts to walk again and doesn't look back but I can see that he has still his serious face on. What does he mean? Why did his mood changed so much in this short time? That can not be all, that is not the whole story! My fox will not just turn and go. Not he!

"Nick, what do you mean with all of that? Don't you think we deserve a better explanation than that? NICHOLAS!"

He stops but he is again fighting with himself, like the evening we both stood in front of his mother's door. His right paw is clasping and relaxing in intervals that become shorter and shorter.

"Nick talk to us. Please."

He doesn't turned around, he is just looking in the orange sky of the late afternoon and starts to speak. His gaze wanders from red cloud to red cloud without fixating on one special point, the sun is almost gone and all that remains are shadows which crawl over the land, becoming bigger and bigger as the day moves on.

"This damned disease...everytime Pati told somebody about it, they started to avoid her…'No we can't play with you, what is if something happen?'...or school 'No Pati you can't participate, sit yourself down and rest'...or work 'No you can't work here, it is to stressful for you.', she hated it and you both know her, she is to lively for something like this. She is no one who sits all the day still in the corner of a room and waits for anything to happen, she is the one who goes out and finds something for herself. One day she decided to ignore this disease completely and to never mentioned it again. So please treat her as if you never heard that from me."

I walk slowly up to my fox and lean against his side. Stella is also right beside us with a concerned smile on her face. And like her I start to smile. Speaking to him in a soft and calm voice I try to sooth him as much as I can.

"Dumb fox. As if we would ever treat Pati different, just because of this. Or Stella?"

"Of course not! I mean we are talking about Pati, as if she would ever listen to anyone..."

For some moments Nick stands there and looked with us over the fields around Woodbury until he squat down and starts to complain like a little child. We look both surprised down to him. Is he alright?

"Nick are you okay?"

"Okay? Nothing is okay. Do you have any idea what will now happen to me when one of you talks to her?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Pati said, if she ever finds out that anybody knows about this, than she would come in the night to me and…and..."

He breaks his sentence but I can see that he is not sure if he should cry or laugh. But it is definitely more crying...

"And what Nick?"

"...and would shave my chest…"

We tried to hold it back but it is simply not possible to hold back our laughter about Nick's fear of his little sister.

"Yes, yes laugh you! You are not the one who freeze to death if anything happens in Tundra Town and we have to work there! Fox without fur on his chest...I just don't want to think about it…"

I try to bring him down, but I'm not sure if this will work.

"Ahhh… Nick do you really think she would do something like that? That's so…"

"What? Childish? Mhm about whom do we talking here?...Oh right it's my Sister! You two know her maybe a little bit but I give you another good advice because today is my generous day. NEVER and I repeat for you NEVER anger her or you will regret it."

Stella and I look at each other but can't both not imagine how this lively and friendly vixen should become to a real devil, maybe he is just overreacting. Stella try to confirm this little outbreak from Nick.

"Are you sure with that Nick? I mean we are talking about Pati here, one of the kindest mammals I ever met."

"Pah! Kind! To her 7 birthday I ate her last piece of birthday cake and in return she shaved my complete left underarm! You can't imagine how mum and Pati laughed the next day..."

I wanted to answer but Stella was faster...not that I would say anything totally different to him.

"Are you stupid? Even I know by now, that stealing things with sugar in it from her is a no-no. And I know her for one day and you 24 years? Till today I'm not sure if you are the smartest idiot I ever met or the dumbest genius…"

With an expressionless face Nick turns to Stella and answer her as dryly as possible.

"Take her, you two deserve each other. Any last words word from you carrots?"

"Well basically, I would agree with…"

In this moment we pass the gates of the academy and walk over the grass field in front of the entry. Nick throw his arms in the air and he exclaims.

"Okay that's it! Am I happy to be back here and to talk with some mammals with a little bit more understanding!"

Nick walks as the first one through the door, I follow him but hold the door open for Stella who forms with her paw a gun and put its against her head. Smiling she 'pulls' the trigger and rolls her eyes, looking after Nick.

"Why are we again in love with those foxes, Judy?"

"I ask myself sometimes the same question but then I remember what they did for us without complaining or taking anything in refund. And then I ask myself how my life would be without them...and I see how stupid my first question was."

"You are the smartest bunny I ever met…"

I grin to Stella and end her sentence for her.

"...and the smartest bunny you will ever meet."

"Ahh girl, like Nick said to me earlier, you deserve each other."

"I hope so."

As soon as we arrive in the room of Nick and the others, my fox stand in the middle and hold a note in his paw. It seems to be from Elliot.

"Nick, what?"

"Meeting on the roof, urgent!"

Stella is the first who response.

"What have those two did this time?"

Without further questions or talking we turn around and head to our little headquarter. Nick walks right besides me and whispers to me.

"I have no good feeling about this…"

 **Nathan**

At first the manipulated information about my past and now this. Maybe El is right and we should watch out for… I don't know… things or strange mammals. And all of this just now where I thought my life turns for the better. But I mean is it really worse with some crime bosses after us? We will become police officers, they would be our enemies if we want it or not.

We are both sitting on the ground of the flat roof of the academy. Nick made a joke about coming up here and enjoy the view but he knew there was a fire alert that has to be deactivated. El saws this as an challenge and both made a bet bet out of it. Nick lost owes El now a favor but he still don't know what...anyhow we five like it up here no distraction, no loud noises just we and the best of all, no Trevor.

The roof is relativ big and has on one side a railing to watch over the fields that lay behind the academy and where we run everyday miles after miles for a better condition, like Ursula always says.

All in all I would say this part has the measurements of 20 to 20 meters, all covered in those typical grey roofing paper, that is sometimes cut off from those ventilation machines, that look like mushrooms with a lot of imagination.

"And new discoveries Mr. Data?"

"Not bad, you could watch TV on the orphanage? I thought you had to work all day to pay off your debt to society…"

"What the hell? What do you even know about orphanages El?"

"Nothing… but that is what the movies teach us, oh and there is every time a hidden room where the bad children are punished from the manager of the orphanage."

El chuckles lightly about his own joke but it is relativ far from the truth.

"I can assure you that something like this not existed in the Sunvalley Orphanage, it is basically like summer camp but with much stricter rules and the difference that after six weeks your parents will not come to pick you up."

"Sounds not so bad, if you ask me. If I had the chance between my parents and summer camp till I'm 19...I would definitely choose the eternal summer camp."

That is one thing I love about the four, they never pity me. Everywhere else I would just be the poor hybrid wolf

"Yeah I know, at one point you just accept it and live with it. What do I say I also had my good times with the guys and some girls in there…but that was two years before I left, the last time was just mediocre and nothing special."

"Uuuh even girls Mister Graham, tell me more…. Wait I thought you were a mobbing victim?"

"In school El, not in the orphanage. We all had the same fate, there was no one left behind. And yes there were some girls but I think that is a story for another time. So new evidences that you found?"

"Nothing good, I checked it doubled they use the official ZPD mailserver which means they have either someone in a high position inside the ZPD or the whole IT in the ZPD is just a joke…"

"Both sounds not very good to me…"

"Yeah I know...we…"

But El can't end his sentence because of Judy, Nick and Stella, who walk exactly in this moment through the door. And of course it is Nick who welcome us at first, almost as if he had missed us… what dumb question, of course he did.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you two again after a long and tough conversation with those two ladies there."

"Hi guys." - "Hey, you two."

Judy walks with a wooden basket in her paw over to the railing and starts to look over the fields behind the academy, something she does every time she comes up here. Nick told us she does the same thing on his balcony, where she watches for long times over the city. The basket standing besides her and waiting for it's appearance.

Stella instead walks over to one of the mushroom, sits down and starts typing on her phone, the results she gets from it seems to please her.

"So guys what is so urgent that we have this emergency meeting instead of eating delicious blueberries from Carrots parents?"

I scratch my neck because I don't really know how to begin this whole conversation...but good thing there is still Elliot, who starts it without hesitation or second thoughts.

"You two have been monitored and we want that you two clear some things up for us."

Judy doesn't turn around, just her ears did and Nick is still grining at us. Both seem to await something like this or better it is nothing new to them. Nick tries not really to answer seriously but fails also with this attempt completely.

"Wow… that is... shocking. Okay we don't need to foul you by telling that we didn't know…!"

Judy's reaction is quick and hard to him.

"Nick! Why do you do that?"

"It is obvious that they both know something about us and it is more than obvious that they have questions for us. And I think it would be unfair if we at least not answer them or try to. I mean we are talking about the guys here."

Judy's gaze to Nick has darken very quickly and if she could kill with it, I bet Nick would drop dead to the ground and never move again. Stella stopped in the meantime typing on her phone and looks with a confused gaze at the scenery in front of her. Judy stands now with crossed arms in front of the railing and rolls with her eyes. She is not one bit delighted about the situation.

"Fine, ask your questions."

Elliot nodes and I can see that he is smiling a little bit.

"Good, my first question would be and I know it's none of my business but it hurts a little bit my pride… why don't you two told us that you are a couple? Neither Nate nor I have something against it and we both know which implications it has for your daily work, if someone in ZPD would know it. So a little bit trust would be nice."

Judy's ears drop and embarrassed she scratches her neck with her right paw. Also her gaze softens a lot. Nick however still grining turns to Judy and starts to speak to her.

"See whiskers, I told you we can tell them. You have to excuse her she is a little bit paranoid...right fluff?"

"Oh shush you...guys I want to apologize. Yes we should have told you but I was afraid how y…"

Without letting her end her excuse, I interfere her little talk.

"Accepted."

"What?"

"Accepted, you don't have apologize to us, we know that you don't mean it in a bad way. You just wanted to protect yourself and Nick."

Elliot looks with a confused look up to me.

"I wanted to hear an apology…"

"Oh come on El…"

"Okay, whatever...now to the important questions. Why is the company monitoring you two? I know, I know heroes of the city and so on but they only prosecute mammals that are really dangerous for them or to say it different, they only monitor you when they know that you know things."

Nick starts instantly to exchange gazes with Judy. Both seem not very happy about the fact that we know those things. Stella on the other side is completely confused and asks to everyone in the group.

"What is the company?"

It is again Elliot who answer the question to Stella.

"In short it is a dangerous crime syndicate, which acts in the shadows of Zootopia. Almost everyone knows rumors about them but no one knows anything concrete."

"Oh...that sounds...great."

Stella replies but looks with widened eyes at Nick and Judy, both still silent about the development. Judy is finally the one who continues to speak.

"What is if we know something and more important what is if we want to do something against those mammals."

Elliot starts slowly to smile at Judy and I bet she hasn't awaited this reaction.

"Than I want to take those bastards down together with you two, no matter what it costs and no matter how long it takes."

The reaction from us is clear and...expectable.

"What?" - "What?" - "What?"

Just Judy keeps the conversation with El up, to understand what is going on here.

"Okay but why Elliot?"

With a gaze full of expectations we look all to the beaver and he is clearly preparing for a longer explanation.

"I want that you trust me and because of that I will tell you the story about my past. How I became the mammal I am now. You all know I'm the oldest son and child of the Anderson family which leads Anderson Pharmaceuticals. Which is by now the biggest pharma company in the northern horizon and has no longer any real opponents on the free market. But this was not everytime the case, to be specific I know a time where the whole company was just my mother and father, both specialist in the field of pharmacology. It was just the two working on new medics but they were too slow and too few to compete with the bigger companies. At this time I was 4 and spend most of my time in the lab with them but they had a problem - money. And they ran out of it and needed a way to succeed in a shorter period of time and for this aim they were ready to do anything, really anything."

Elliot exhales deeply and prepares for another part of his story. At this point we are already eager to hear how the story continues.

"One day, we got a visit from a strange mammal. He just called himself 'Kite'. Even in my young age I knew that this wasn't his real name. My parents send me out of the room and I didn't understand at this time what happened or what they talked about. Some days later, we got another visit from Kite but this time he was with a young porcupine girl with the name Alma. I was happy at that time, I had a friend to play with and she was nice to me, unlike other mammals she never complained or demanded anything from me. Every time I felt down she was there for me, no matter what happened or how she felt."

Elliot's gaze becomes darker and darker with every minute he talks about his past and slowly we come to understand what happened.

"She lived in the test facility of the laboratory and for 4 years we spend everyday together. But she was oft sick and at first I was to stupid to see why...anyhow even during her illness we were together and watched TV, movies, played games or just talked. We were inseparable but my parents saw that, I mean everybody could see it and what should I say they hated it. One day, I came into the laboratory and she was gone. My parents told me she moved to another location and that I was not able to see her again...they wanted to prepare me for the leadership of the company, which was growing faster and faster by that time. This damned business..."

Stella sits there with an open mouth, Judy walked over to Nick leaned her head against his chest and takes his paw into hers. Nick looked down at her and understand that her mood is down, he laid one arm around her to comfort her.

"She was gone and I lost interest in most of the things I should do for my parents to take over the company. It was all meaningless at this time and I started more and more to work with computers and that stuff, it distracted me and at least there I had control over my surroundings and the things I did...with 16 and with that 8 years ago I made with some worker a control tour through one of the buildings, where volunteer mammals lay, that were paid as test subjects for new medicine. And there I found her, sleeping between all the other mammals. Alma was at the end of her power, suffering from a pneumonia she almost didn't recognize me. But I understood finally at this time what was going on. You have to know the longest part to develop a new medicine or vaccine is not the part in the laboratories, it is the testing and proving that the medicine could be tested on normal mammals without bigger complications."

I lay my left arm on Elliots shoulder, he looks terrible and I can completely understand it.

"El… you don't have to do this."

"No...no it's okay. You have to hear the whole story to understand... Where was I? Oh yes. My parents made an agreement to receive mammals as test subjects for their new products, it is sick. Mammals born into custody never able to achieve anything. And this is the whole mystery about the fast rise of Anderson Pharmaceuticals, no genius worker or great manager that provided this uprising - no just ignoring the fundamental mammal rights for profit.

I couldn't stay there, I had to go and I had to take her with me. I couldn't let her live one moment longer than needed in this goddamn environment… so I bribed some caregiver who smuggled her out of the facility. Leaving my home and all of the comfortable life behind me was not easy at first but I managed somehow. I also took none of their money because I knew where it came from and I could take care of myself and Alma anyhow. At first her status kept getting better and better...but…in the end she was too weak and the damage to her body was already done..."

We all know what happened or could at least imagine how the story ends. Judy detached herself from Nick and he nods understanding to her. Slowly she walks over to Elliot and take him in a tight hug. For some minutes we all stand there and do nothing, we could just wait and imagine how he felt.

"Thanks Judy."

With a soothing smile on her face, she sits herself beneath Elliot and strokes slowly over his back.

"Your welcome, El."

"...Alma lived for two more years...I tried my best to keep her alive but in the end I failed. She died smiling and happy about all the things I did for her but in the end it was nothing in comparison to what my parents did to her. She had no family name and was not registered, which meant I couldn't bury her in Zootopia and had to find a place for her outside of the city. Alma lays now 12 miles outside of the city, in a wood which is paid from the money of my parents. They have no idea that they spend 4 million dollars for this park which is basically her grave, I tricked them into paying this money for a charity foundation I created. And do you all know what the best is about this? And Nick you would be proud of me...I bet you would have done something similar."

Nick stands at the railing and chuckled lightly before he answered.

"You named the foundation after her, right? That is what I would have done."

"You're goddamn right the 'Association for Life, Mammals and Altruism'. And they have no idea…. I swore at her grave that I will find the ones responsible for her suffering and that I will tear down this damned company of my parents till nothing remains…she was all that I had, the only one who was ever nice to me and who understand me, well besides you guys. But in the end I didn't even had the guts to say, that I love her but I hope she knew that..."

Elliot looks better now, the sadness he showed minutes ago has turned into anger, well it is not perfect but better. His paws clasps together and his eyes still glance a little bit from the tears he tried to hold back.

"I hacked the complete IT infrastructure of my parents but there was no physical evidence for the mammal trafficking, not one bit. But then I remembered the name of the guy who visited us in the old laboratory 'Kite' and I searched for him but all I found were rumours about the company. Bird names, stories and dead mammals nothing more. And now an email appears where to snitches inside the ZPD report their monitoring about Nicholas Wilde and Judy Hopps to an worker with the name 'Woodpecker', coincidence? I think not. So I am on your site no matter how you see it and I'm ready to fight with you."

Judy and Nick look at each other and I waited for Nick to explain this whole thing further to us but it is Judy who starts to speak about their findings.

"Guys we really don't want to drag you into all of this okay? That's why I think it is the best, if you just forget about this…"

Elliot is the first who answers her and his reaction is understandable but also very hard.

"Cut the crap Judy, we are all sitting all in the same boat. And don't tell me you and Nick want to do this alone? Because this is just plain stupid! Even I know that I can't do anything alone."

Nick still leans against the railing and thinks about El's words. His gaze wanders between his girlfriend and the angry beaver who is not willing to let it slide.

"But…"

I think it is now my time to interrupt the conversation…

"No buts Judy, at least tell us what this is all about. If we don't agree we can still say no and keep it as a secret. But I think as friends and future partner in the force we deserve to know this. What do you think Stella?"

"I'm with them Judy."

The little and by now desperate bunny turns herself a last time to her fox but Nick also Nick seems to agree with the situation.

"Nick?"

"We better tell them carrots, I think we can still need some passenger on this suicide trip."

Judy exhales deeply and let her shoulders sink, she hates to give in but she has no other option left.

"Okay under this circumstances I think you all deserve an explanation. Nick and I got the information, from a reliable but also mysterious source. Until now we just know the code names of all 7 leaders of the company and the real name of one of them…"

Elliot is more than excited about this news and starts to smile over his whole face. He stands himself in front of Judy and grabs her by her shoulders. But Judy looks just to the ground as if her part of telling the story ends there.

"Really? But that are great news! I mean with the name, I can again start to search maybe I can find the guy and…"

Nick interfered from the railing, his face now more than serious and darker than ever.

"You don't need to search for him, you wouldn't find him and we already know who he is…"

Elliot turns around and walks some steps in direction of Nick, he looks obvious confused at the red fox.

"And… who is he?"

"My father…"

The silence that went over our little group is almost too much for us to bear. But Elliot is motivated and he seems not to stop here. Nick's own father is part of this? Now I understand why they don't want to talk about all of this...

"But who is your source? Maybe I can take this as an entry point to find new information?"

Nick turns himself around and leans with his back against the railing. His smile is bitter and far away from the joyful fox we normally know.

"Okay then tell me what you want to do to find the 'Gods Paw'?"

Elliot's eyes widen again, it seems that this is another name, he didn't thought to hear today...

"What even they are involved into all of this?"

But honestly I also have no idea who it is...and Stella seems to share my ignorance.

"Wait, wait, wait, who is the 'Gods Paw'?"

"Yeah even I don't know them."

I and Stella reacte obvious confused to the new information but Nick tries to enlighten us a bit.

"The 'Gods Paw' is a small organisation which provide several services for the right amount of money. They are even more mysterious than the 'company', you find as good as nothing about them."

But Stella keeps asking and to my luck, even I am not so clear about this organisation.

"What for services and what have you to do with them?"

It is now Nick's turn to start with some explanations and also Judy seems at this point more than okay with that.

We are already over an hour on the roof, the darkness has already fallen over the land and our faces are just illuminated by the lights of Woodbury and emergency signs on the doors.

"One day before we all drove to the police academy, Judy and I get an...let's say invitation to meet a leader of the 'Gods Paw', if we believe the rumors than there are 4 of them. The guy we met named himself 'Void' and if we can believe him than they work together with everyone who has enough money ZBI, ZIA, the company, private mammals, you name it. He was the one who gave us this information about my father and the company…"

"Okay but why should he do that, why should he give you something so valuable and dangerous? Just because he is generous?"

Stella still tries to understand the whole situation better.

"Stella, he is not like a normal mammal which goes in a cinema or bar to experience something, he is bored and the first entertaining that happened in a long time was the Nighthowler Case. I think it thrills him, when he knows that the things he sees are real...he is no active player in this game, he is more like a… spectator."

Stella is confused and okay if I wouldn't know this town so good, I would be it as well. But I can imagine that someone like this really exists, diversity attracts always the crazy ones as well and the shadows that this town throws ahead are long and dark.

"What? Who would do something like this just because of boredom? Don't he know that he endangered mammals with his behaviour? He should know that you do something and fight this crime syndicate!"

"Stella that is his plan, he wants that we act, he wants the chaos we may create. And you have to understand they live outside of society, they don't care if one, ten or a hundred mammals dies. For them it is just fun to watch. I can't explain it better to for you, to me he was like a little kid but much to smart and to powerful."

Nodding is all Stella can do at the moment.

"Crazy, that is all just crazy…"

"I know…"

"So you went there, they gave you the information and let you go? That's it?"

"Not exactly… Carrots and I received both a 'Wildcard' from him as a gift, this is what you need to ask for their services. They are extremely valuable and extremely rare. We both think that should be a little 'gift' for us, a motivation or whatever..."

Stella looks thoughtfully in the night and puts one paw in her jeans as if she is looking for something. Slowly she walks over to Nick but ask him before she arrives.

"How does this card look like?"

Nick strokes his right paw over his face, he is visibly tired but try to stay wake. Rubbing his eyes he is not able to see what Stella holds in her paw.

"Ours are black, with the initials 'G' and 'P' on one side. But in general they are just black and have the size of a credit card, not very noticeable."

"Something like this?"

Stella holds a black card up to Nick, who looks now with widened eyes at her paw.

"Sweet cheese and crackers, where do you…?"

Judy, Elliot and myself going now over to Nick and Stella, both standing at the railing. Nick who hold the card in his paw hand it over to Judy, she can recognize it at once and exhales deeply. She hands it over to Elliot who is more than curious about the little object and asks her about it.

"Can I test something Stella?"

"Yeah sure take your time with it... now I think it is my time to explain something. Yesterday, on our way to Nick's friend Finnick, Pati and I took a cab that brought us at first to the hospital where Pati got her bag with medical supply. I talked in the meantime with the driver, a raccoon with the name Conrad, strange name if you ask me...anyhow he gave me the card."

This whole conversation gets stranger and stranger from minute to minute. And so I asked Stella.

"So like the other guy gave a card to Nick and Judy, he did the same with you? Have you also received information?"

But Stella shakes just her head… no more information…

"He just said, he liked us and that he awaits great things from me, that is all. He was a strange but friendly guy… So Nick what can I do with this card, can I plan an assassination?"

Laughing and full of sarcasm, Stella ended her last sentence. Nick however don't laugh, he seems not in the mood for laughing.

"Yes you can…"

"What?"

Stella and I look with bewilderment at Nick, who explains calm and slowly what are Stellas options.

"You have 5 options with this card. First, you can find a mammal. Second, you can get ALL information about a topic or mammal. Third, you can get 10 million dollar in cash, in one week. Fourth, you can destroy the life of a mammal, no physical harm will be done and fifth you can assassinate one mammal. You don't need to use it and this card is bound to you and no one else Stella."

Stella is stun and not able to speak for a moment.

"Holy...it's real?"

"Yes."

"But how does it work?"

"That is something even I don't know."

Elliot who is by now in a much better condition and back in his field of profession, grins over his whole face to us. He give the card back to Stella who is holding it in her paws and seems to think about the options.

"I think that is something I can tell you, it is basically pretty simple. The cards contain a NFC chip, hold it to your smartphone and it will send over your phone a message to a specific number with your coordinates. No magic needed, just some mammals with a little bit brain in their skulls to create something like that."

Nick grins down at the beaver.

"You can really destroy phantasies, huh El? And I thought there is at least anything mystical about them."

"Sorry Nick, the only mystical is their stupid name…"

"That is something we both can agree on, do you know where we meet them? In the club 'Between Heaven and Hell', ridiculous if you ask me."

Nick starts to laugh together with El about the strange names this hidden organisation given themselves and I have to admit, they are really awkward sometimes.

"Ahaha and do you what the best thing is El? Void even said that the company just uses stupid 'bird names', as if he is the one who should talk to loud...ahhh sorry carrots, you wanted to say something?"

"Yes and thanks that I have now your attention Mr Wilde."

"For you every time darling."

Judy stands herself in front of us with a little smile on her muzzle and a dedication for this upcoming fight, that you can see clearly in her eyes. She will not give up and she will not give this town to a group of mobster, who don't care about the mammals that live in Zootopia. We four stand in front of the railing leaning with our backs against it and look to Judy.

"If you ask me if I want to fight against this organisation, than I can just say yes, I will do that with all I have and till the bitter end. And what I learned from Void on that day is nothing good but also nothing I could ever forget. Till this day I thought Zootopia is a paradise of diversity, freedom and equal rights but I was wrong. This town lives on top of lies, discrimination and a bunch of mobsters who think they own every mammal in this town. Alone in the last year died in the city over 730 mammals through the company, not in this calculation are the victims of mammal trafficking, drug abuse and other crimes… and the ZPD doesn't even know."

Judy inhales deeply to continue her speech, we can all feel her resolute determination and the will to win this fight.

"I became a police officer because I couldn't bear the injustice I witnessed everywhere in the world like corruption, stealing, assault, discrimination or murder. If I would turn away from this town and it's suffering mammals, I would be no better than the members of the company and that is something I can't allow myself. In the end it is your decision and I can just ask if you want to fight alongside me...so Nick?"

All gazes go instantly to Nick who stands there and smiles to Judy. And if you could see the loving gaze with whom he looks to her, you would know that he made his decision long ago.

"Judy, you know what my decision is. I love you and I would follow you even in the deepest depth of hell no matter what comes. We started this whole story together and we will also end it together, comes hell or high water. And remember? I'm yours and you are mine…"

Judy returns the loving gaze with some small tears in her eyes and the following words.

"...yes, I'm yours and you are mine. How could I forget that."

We three stand beside the two and can just smile about the romantic scene they both share with us. Judy walks slowly over to Nick and puts her head against his chest, in return he strokes slowly with his right paw over her ears. He is also the one who continues the conversation.

"So El are you still on board to kick some ass?"

"Now more than ever Nick."

"Good to hear, Stella what is with you? You still have the chance to go."

Stella finally puts the card back into her jeans and smiles over to Nick.

"No Nick my time to leave all of this ended yesterday, as soon as I saw Pati it was too late. I will not leave her nor this city nor you guys and to be honest I'm tired of running away because I think I found finally a new home…"

"Good to hear, sister. Nathan what is with you?"

Do I really need to rethink all of this? They are my friends and I can't imagine that I would find anywhere in this broken world better ones. And somehow I have the feeling that I will find out who I really am when I walk with them and fight against this enemy.

"Okay first I need to let something out and do you know what? We are a bunch of weirdos that is what we are, crazy unpredictable misfits but that is the reason we understand each other so good, that is one of the reasons we are friends. We know what it means to feel the pain to be alone, each of us. We know what it feels like to be laughed at. We are the ones who stand out of the masses, not because we want to, no. It is because we have to. Because no one else sees the pain, the sorrow and despair of this city. And if we don't do anything, no one will. So I'm on this crazy ride and I know one thing for sure together we stand and together we fall, so let us stand till the end and show them what they can await from some freaks like us."

We five have to grin about my little speech for some seconds, well at least until Nick raises his arms to the sky and exclaims.

"Amen, we five will kick asses, that's for sure and now to mark the occasion I think there is nothing better for us than some blueberries and a toast."

Nick goes to the wooden basket that Judy carried up here to the roof and takes out a bowl half filled with blueberries. Without hesitation he gives everyone of us exactly 5 blueberries. At first we look puzzled at each other but Nick rise his right paw with the blueberries in it and we followed his example.

"Let's TOAST to Lying,Cheating, Stealing and Fighting...if your gonna Lie..Lie for a Friend. If you're gonna Cheat...Cheat Death, If you're gonna Steal...Steal a Heart! And if you're gonna fight...fight on my side! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" - "Cheers!" - "Cheers!" - "Cheers!"

I don't know what this whole thing will bring but at least it goes down with those freaks. Smiling I walk over to Judy who pass out a bowl of blueberries to everyone in our little group. I have a good feeling about all of this.

Nick shouts to everyone in the group and we almost have a little heart attack.

"WAIT!"

"What the hell Nick?"

"We forgot something important! We need a leader! And I think there is no one better for this task than our first bunny police officer JUDY HOPPS! What do you all say to this."

Judy tries to interfere, it is visible that the whole act is awkward for her.

"Nick, please tha…"

But one after the other answered before she could even announce her thoughts.

"Accepted." - "Who else should do that? Of course Judy." - "Chief, at your service."

The grey doe smiles for a short time but nodes to herself and proclaims with confidence.

"Good, if you want it, then I lead this little suicide squad. And I also have a first mission for us. We have to get rid of the snitches in the academy. Any ideas… Nick?"

"No idea but a concrete plan. Here take this and go with Pati to the tea shop I told you about. She knows where it is."

Nick hands a closed letter over to Judy, who looks a little bit confused at the quick response from her fox.

"What is in the letter?"

"You really wanna know whiskers?"

"Ehm...yes! You made me to the leader and I need to know everything or we can't decide over the best strategy."

"Okay, inside of this thing are 250 dollar in cash and a note for the good old Fred. If he reads he knows what you need."

"What? Is that not a little bit much for tea?"

Grinning Nick stands himself in front of his bunny and tilts his head to the side.

"Oh carrots, how said that this store just sells tea?"


	16. Trick and Treat

**16\. Trick and Treat**

 **Judy**

The end of october was drawing nearer and nearer. With this a special day and whole Zootopia was preparing for this. Bats, ghost made of paper, colored leaves, spider webs and all the other things that you need for Halloween could be found now all over the city and one mammal who is dressing herself up for every holiday, is extra active in her preparations...

… and because of her all I could think about at the moment are pumpkins, pumpkins and again pumpkins. I think you could guess who is to blame for this…

...but despite all that I look with a fascinated gaze to Patty, who wore today a black dress with the mentioned halloween pumpkins on it and just one question went through my mind...

"Say Patty, how many different dresses do you own?"

"Hmmm difficult to say...I never counted them all...something between one for every day in spring and one for every day in the year. But I'm working hard on a garderobe full of dresses for the whole year. Do you also want one? I can give you the address of my dressmaker or better we go together to her. I bet Nick would like it to see one on you."

With a teasing smile she looked down to me, I didn't know why but I blushed a little bit under her gaze.

"D-do you really think he would like it?"

"Sure but he would like everything you wear... I mean he also likes if you wear nothing at all…"

Aaaand my blush intensified...

"Why Patty?"

"Because I like teasing mammals, for example bunnies or arctic vixen...yeah I would say those two are my primary target for now…"

Chuckling she took the lollipop from on side of her muzzle to the other and turned on the next block to the right, like ever I followed her through the streets but tried to remember the way as good as I could. You never knew when you need it...

"Maybe I can get a dress for Christmas...what do you think?"

"Oh that would be great! We could drive in partner look to your family...I already have one in the making. If you want, we can go next monday to her, when you are back from the academy. What do you think?"

It's incredible how easily you could inspire her for new things and ideas.

"But wouldn't that be something for you and Stella?"

It seems this is not the best topic, disappointed she let's her shoulders hang and looked with puffed up cheeks over to me.

"Forget it, Snowflake is too proud to accept anything that I offer her and she don't have the money for it. Every weekend we spend together is a battle, I want to go somewhere but she doesn't want to be invited by me. What's more dresses are not her thing…"

I was shocked, I thought between them is everything alright, like between me and Nick. Stella never said anything negative...

"You are not happy together? I-I thought you are?!"

At first she looked really confused at me, almost as if she couldn't believe what she heard but after some seconds she started heartily to laugh about my obvious dumb question. And honestly I should have known it better. I mean this is Patty… and as a reward she ruffled the fur on my head. Thanks vixen...

"Dumb bunny. She is the best that ever happened to me and for nothing in the whole wide world I would give my snowflake away, she is just unique when I try to offer her something. She really believes I could think that she takes advantage of me...you can imagine that those behaviour limit our weekend activities. Well in the end we can choose between strolling through the park, cooking and sex. Fine by me, as long as she is around and I think you know, what we choose for most of the times…"

Patty is wiggling her eyebrows, doing so she looked a lot like Nick but additional to that she showed me also a devilish grin...this kinky vixen…the answer should be obvious.

"I guess...sex?"

"No, mostly cooking but sex comes right afterwards...But I like how you think Judy…oh come on don't blush like that! Prudish bunny!"

She got me and I talked myself right into her trap… shame on me.

"Okay this point is yours Patty. But one day…"

"Blablabla Judy, you and I know that this day will never come. Okay listen, when it comes to being glib, the order is Patty, Nick and you can share place number three with Elliot. Bye the way, do you know what they are doing right now?"

Wednesday, 3:07 pm...

"They should have the first shooting lessons by now… I hope they are not shooting each other in the foot..."

Smiling, Patty looked over to me and try to sooth me a little bit.

"Don't worry about them, I don't know why but Nick has a natural talent for guns. He took me once to a shooting range because of a bet, I mean what else should it be between us two… Anyhow I lost and boy you can't imagine how hard I did. They attested him an accuracy of 92%, even the guy of the shooting range was impressed, so I think he will do well."

Such a high accuracy? Well he even won against me on the funfair… But that were no real guns. I should ask Ursula if his score in the academy is really as good as Patty said. But back to my task I got from Nick, he didn't wanted to tell me what his plan was until I delivered the letter and received the tea… it sounded all very strange.

Actually I knew where to get the tea for Nick but today was such a sunny day and Patty forced herself onto me as soon as I said where I wanted to go, so that I neither could nor would walk alone. The streets of Savannah Central are full of mammals, some greet me other just node in my direction and some groups just start to whisper behind my back. But because of my good ears, I could hear them pretty well.

"Is that her?"

"...yeah I think, so. Wow did you thought that such a little bunny could do such things?"

"...no but it is very impressive…"

My popularity seemed not to fade… damned. I wished it would but on the other hand said Nick that nobody not even the company would dare to kill me on the open street and unfortunately he was right. If I like it or not, this popularity protects me but there were limits even for this protection.

Patty stopped and waked me out of my daydreams, by laying one of her paws on my shoulder. A typical old and rustic tea shop, the owner even decorated the shop window, for the upcoming spooky holiday. A group of ghosts made out of paper and drinking tea together, hung in the window.

"It's a while since I was here…"

Patty mumbled to herself, standing in front of the shop and remembering some memories.

"Do you know the owner?"

"Freddy? Yes, yes. I once treated him in the hospital for a...mmh… let's say a delicate disease…"

"Delicate?"

"Yeah, let's leave it by this. I think he wouldn't like it if we talked about it and on the other hand I think to remember that I shouldn't give personal information to third parties...just forget that I ever said anything to you...okay?"

"As you wish Miss 'Maybe-I-should-close-my-mouth-from-time-to-time'."

I grinned up to Patty but she just replied to me with sticking her tongue out to me. When will this vixen ever become adult...well I hoped that this day would never come.

We opened the door, which triggered the typical ring of a little bell and announced our entering. Hundred of different smells were coming to my nose but none of them was bad or unpleasant. There were so many of them that I couldn't differ them all...I bet Nick could. And I imagine how I visit here again with my fox, grinning he would ask me with a teasing smile 'And carrots what do you smell, oh come on even you can differ that.'. Again 3 days without my fox and I almost go crazy about this fact. His apartment was also not helping at all, everything in there reminded me of him the smell, his music, the large bed where I had to sleep alone. I even sleep in one of his shirts, so that I felt more comfortable...

Come on Judy concentrate, you are here for a reason!

We made our way to the counter and passing a lot of tea pods, cups and other different mugs. The mammal behind the bar, an opossum in my age, needed just a short moment to recognize Patty and started to greet her hearty.

"Patty! If this isn't my favorite doctor, how can I help you girl?"

With the typical Wilde smile on her muzzle, she leaned on the counter and talked to Fred in her carefree way.

"Nothing for me this time Freddy but my friend here, wants to have something for my brother."

Fred looked now for the first time over to me and his face changed slightly from joyful to delighted. He knew who I am.

"Miss Hopps it is a pleasure to meet the hero of the city, how can I help you?"

Just play along Judy…and keep it down

"No need to adulate me, I'm just a normal citizen Mr?"

"Oh just call my Freddy, that's the easiest way."

He turned around and started to search already the right tea for Nick. For some time he disappeared, until he started again to speak to us from under the bar.

"So Miss Hopps you said this tea is for Nick? What does he want? His typical green tea or something stronger?"

"Actually he gave me this letter, it contains the money and the things he wishes for."

We could hear how one big metal container slipped out of his paws, slowly he comes up from under the bar. His eyes were wide and I could clearly see that he was scared. But why? A quick look to Patty showed that she was also confused and with widened eyes. Freddy looked behind and checked the streets if anybody else stood outside.

"I-I'm sorry I have to ask this...puh I'm a little nervous...this letter is from Nick?"

"Mmh yes?"

"You and Patty are alone here?"

"Yes why do you ask?"

"And there are no 'other' police officers around?"

"No, why?"

Patty rolled her eyes and was back to her former self. She grinned over to Freddy who was slowly calming down from...whatever scared him. Did I missed something? I bet I looked at this moment very confused...

"Don't worry Freddy it is from Nick and there is no one around. So prepare everything, okay?"

And without further words, he took the letter I hold up to him. He opens the letter, took the money, counted it and red the note Nick left for him. Chuckling he turned to Patty and me.

"This is way too much money..."

I tried to answer but what should I say? I mean, I didn't even know what this all was about...but to my luck was Patty there.

"Take it Freddy, Nick had never given anyone the wrong amount... let's just say it is for the sake of good old times...okay?"

Freddy took a last look at me and Patty and left with a chuckle to the room in the back of the shop. He needed some time to fill up the tea for Nick.

Then minutes later and a grinning vixen stood together with a confused bunny on the sidewalk in front of the shop.

With hanging ears I looked at the round metal box I would now carry with me in a small plastic bag. The box had a nice painting without a doubt but 250$? Even Freddy said that it was too much…what did you do this time dumb fox?

Patty checked the time on her phone and turned with a new idea to me.

"Come on bunny, you have still time. Let us find a nice coffee somewhere before you have to leave and I explain the rest to you."

"Okay but I hope Nick knows what he does…"

"Oh he definitely does but I don't know if you will like it."

Patty tried to smile as soothing as possible to me but something started nagging at me… I didn't knew what bothered me at that moment but I will find out what it is.

Together we walked to the central station of Zootopia and visited a little coffee shop that was nearby the station. It is one of those new fashioned coffee shops, they were okay but I liked more the rustic ones with a little bit more charm...and yes most likely that this came from my origin. The last table in the back of the shop was Patty's aim, where we made ourselves comfortable. A young deer, maybe 19 years old took our order and disappeared for a while behind the counter. Patty took a last look around to be sure that nobody was watching us.

She took the metal box from under the table, removed the plastic bag and placed it in the middle of our little round table. With a challenging gaze she looked over to me.

"So Officer Bunbun, surprise me."

"What do you mean with that Patty?"

"Oh Judy you disappoint me…"

Her gaze wandered slowly from the metal box over to me and back to the box. I knew that something is odd but I guessed that she would not just tell me, of course she wanted to play a little game with me...Wilde...sometimes I thought this was a family of gamblers. But they didn't play for money, no. They just played for the fun of playing but maybe that was the reason why they were so good at it.

Okay Judy think, what is odd about this box? Maybe I should think outside of the box… oh jeez I definitely spend too much time with Nick...

I took it into my paws and let it wander through it but nothing. The edges had no visible openings, there were no clues on the outside and also no hidden compartment, well at least so I thought...I gave up after some minutes and put it back into the middle of the table. I raised my paws and smiled lightly to her.

"Okay wise vixen, I don't know it enlighten me with your wisdom and knowledge."

Patty knew that she won but she enjoyed her victory a little bit too much. Looking back to the counter, Patty was today strangely aware of her surrounding, most of the time she didn't care who was looking or listening to her but today?

"Ehm Patty?"

But she just raised one finger of her right paw to keep me silent. And there was also the reason why, the waitress was coming with our order and Patty wanted a talk between four eyes and not more. But not before she satisfied her own interest. The deer was a little bit trembling, I hoped she was okay..

"Thank you darling! And please tell me where do you found those beautiful cherry earrings?"

Patty smiled up to the deer and waited for a reply but it seemed Patty surprised her a little bit too much. The deer blushed and tried to answer but there was not more than stuttering coming from her. It was by now, that I recognized that she was looking at me, it was not Patty who made her feel uneasy, it was me. And again it was the red vixen who saved the situation.

"It's okay honey, I think I will find them sooner or later and yes this Judy Hopps but she is just a normal bunny. No need to go crazy."

Still staring at me she nodded and tried slowly to walk backwards but bumped together with another table. She said some apologies in my direction and disappeared rather quickly behind the bar… some mammals were okay with my 'fame' other like her had herself not under control and overreacted as if I'm some superstar, ridiculous…

"Puh Judy, normally it is me who make the young girls go crazy but this…"

I clasped my cup a little bit too much, Patty started to look at me with some worries in her gaze.

"I hate this stupid fame with everyday more and more."

"There are worse things, than being famous…"

"For example?"

"Dead for example…killed by a mysterious organisation."

A normal mammal that spoke out a very dangerous secret would have turned away or felt at least a little bit ashamed but not Patty. She sat there, drank her tea with way too much honey in it and waited like a little child for my reply.

But somehow I'm not surprised, well would I do anything different if I were in Stella's position?

"She told you?"

Grinning she replied to me.

"Do you really think Snowflake could have secrets before me? Oh Judy really? You should know me better by now ...and please don't be mad at her. Let's say I tickled it out of her… with my tongue."

I could see that she thought of some pleasant memories with a dirty smile on her face. I tried to sound not so upset but… well it didn't worked.

"Ohhh Patty!"

"What? She has a sensible neck…"

"Jeez,..."

For some minutes we sat just there and enjoyed our drinks. Patty was in thoughts still with the dirty smile on her muzzle and I watched how customers come and leave the store.

I thought about me, what would I have done? Did I need really to think about such a question? I mean the answer should be clear.

"I think, I would have done the same thing if I were in her position."

"Ohohoh I don't think you was in such a position before sweetheart…I...ohh you mean emotional."

Grinning looked the vixen at me and waited for my reaction. And I continued the little game I played normally with her brother.

"Kinky vixen."

"Prudish bunny."

Satisfied leaned Patty herself back on her chair and went on with her explanation.

"Oh one last thing, before I explain the 'magic trick'. If you ever need someone who stitches together your little fluffy butt, than you know where you can find me."

"You mean in the hospital?"

"Mmh yeah, most of the time but if you want it, I'm your 24/7 emergency doctor, so don't be shy and call me."

She blinks over to me with one of her eyes.

"And don't forget Judy 'If you ever need a fixin, just call the vixen'..."

"...you really gave yourself a slogan?"

"Well,... No. It is basically a jingle but like you can see, my piano is not here at the moment, so maybe next time I can add the melody and believe me it is more than catchy. I tell you the advertising industry lost its greatest talent the day I decided to become a doctor...anyhow the magic trick."

With a grin on her muzzle took the red vixen the metal box and placed it on her right paw. Like a TV moderator, she presented the box to me. I tilted my head and watched attentively how she presented it and what she was going to do.

Her paws moved fast and with a quick turn she opened the bottom of the box, I bet my muzzle stood a little bit open as two little plastic bags fell out and landed on her other paw. With a sceptical gaze she looked at the little bags filled with grass...

"Mhmm..."

I couldn't believe it, he had tricked me! He knew I would have said no but he kept talking to me until I said yes! Oooh I was so mad at him… if Patty wouldn't do it, then would I shave his chest and maybe even more.

"This damned fox, I hope he is ready for the biggest argument in his life! How could he do this? HE made me commit a crime! Nicholas Piberius Wilde you dumb fox!"

I could have exploded if Patty wasn't there for me. The drugs were not even the problem, if he had just told me about it...

"Weeeeell to be exactly it is a misdemeanour…"

"What? How do you...?"

"Do I look like someone who doesn't try new things, mmh Judy, me? Patricia Wilde? The vixen with waaay more dresses and jeans? Listen Nick left his home maybe with 12 but we spend despite that a lot of time together and we also tried a lot of things together. You could say we watched over each other the whole time. We also were sometimes on parties but honestly I'm no big fan of alcohol, Nick always said I become bitchy when I drink something, whatever that means…. So I tried this here sometimes but it just calmed me down and I don't like to be calm at all..."

I didn't know how she did it but I had to smile about her little story not that anything in it surprised me, no - it was just the way she told me about everything in her past without any second thoughts.

"...So I decided not to take this stuff again but I know the limits and this here is just enough for 2 blunts…or less. I don't know what Nick tries to do but he ordered so little of it, that even when you get caught it wouldn't bother anyone. And you know the threshold are 15 gram in this town and this are...maybe 10? So no worries for anyone..."

The little bags still laid on the table and my anger slowly disappeared. Patty took them, put them back into the box and closed it again tight. She didn't wanted that anybody saw them, which was more than understandable.

"And to be honest who would control you? The hero of the city? You could carry a bomb into the town hall and everyone would bat an eye. All would just stand there and adore you like this: 'Look! It is Judy Hopps our hero. What does she carries around...ahh never mind, I mean it is Judy'..."

With a big grin she ended her monologue and turned herself back to me with her peridot colored eyes. I could just chuckle about her imitation and roll with my eyes.

"Dumb vixen...okay, okay so he was worried about me, fine. But he will get his punishment for not telling ...oh no I'm almost too late."

5 minutes longer and I had missed my train. I jumped on my feet's and run as fast as I could to the entrance of the shop but not even 5 meters and I had to turn with a complete red face back to Patty. She already held the plastic bag with the 'tea' in her left paw and looked with triumphant gaze at me.

"I think you forgot something little bunny…"

"...Sorry…"

I tried to grab the bag from her paw but she was faster and pulled it back.

"Tsetsetse little bunny, this is how you want to leave me here? Alone and without a goodbye hug? How could it come to that?"

Theatrically she leaned herself exhausted on her chair and put her right paw against her head. A mammal from the Zootopia Central Theater couldn't play it better...okay I gave in.

Smiling I leaned into a hug…

"That's what I meant Judy."

...but I went just far enough to catch my plastic bag from her. Of course she recognized it immediately and I needed something to distracted her long enough. Come on Judy think...of course keep it simple stupid.

And with the last four words in mind, I pressed the vixen a quick goodbye kiss on her left cheek. To my luck it was enough to distracted her so that I could escape her incoming hug.

"Sorry Patty, next time."

And with those last words I was on my way to the train but I could heard her shouting through the whole shop and of course it was addressed at me.

"Yeah but next time with tongue Miss Hopps! I demand it!"

I could hear the chuckle of her voice following me through the whole shop but there was also something else that followed me and this were the gazes of every mammal in the shop, who looked with wide open eyes at me. I needed to speed up my running to reach my train in time and oh boy I was really late.

Thanks to my daily training I need not more than a minute to reach the train and calm myself down. The train started to move and I leaned myself back and began to watch the outside passing by the window.

My mind drifted slowly back to the events of the last month. A lot has happened... Nathan and Stella signed themselves in for the Detective training, which will start in January and both had become really good in the close combat training maybe it was after all not such a bad idea to expand our group for some better chances in the future. Nick gave me the letter for the order of tea I got today for him. He wanted to execute his plan as soon as possible but Elliot convinced us to wait and control which information the two wolves could gather about us. In the end Nick was right they were not the brightest stars in the sky, they both knew nothing about my relationship with Nick or the connection we five had. All they submitted was useless stuff but this would change as soon they enter the ZPD or had access to real cases.

Elliot tried his best to find more about the mammal who stood in contact with those two but all we knew at the moment was his code name 'Woodpecker'. And with that we were as far as before. But he was trying to find them and now he was more than ambitious about his mission and I knew he wouldn't stop before he found them.

The work the force was mostly the same as ever but every time I entered the precinct and met Clawhouser, he was asking me out about Nick and myself...if he knew something? Or maybe he had a suspicion about me and the ex-hustler?

And then Nick, every test Ursula imposed on him, he mastered with ease. The only thing where he was just average was the earlier mentioned close combat training but even there he could trick me sometimes and beat me. He and his trickery, the years on the street helped him again to solve everything that laid in his way and I hoped it will stay this way…

Woodbury was the next station and I made myself mentally ready to jog the rest of the way to the academy. Some training could never be bad and I today I didn't had the opportunity to do so. Smiling I stood at the door, thinking about my fox and how we could get a calm minute just for us two. I was so deep in thought, that I didn't recognizing who stood right behind me. Until a paw was put onto my shoulder and I heard the voice of the white hare Trevor.

"Miss Hopps?"

I was a little bit surprised about him being here.

"Trevor? What are you doing here?"

"Oh I had to do a few things in a neighbour town and you Miss Hopps?"

"I told you Trevor away from the training area, you can call me Judy."

He smiled nice to me and nodded as a reaction.

"Thank you Judy, believe me it's an honor for me…"

Oh sweet cheese and crackers...that is not really what he said? Don't get me wrong I have nothing against being polite but this...

And to my big luck was the train stopping and the doors opened… finally I can...but then it hit me, I couldn't just go that would be impolite...I mean he never did anything to avoid him...I couldn't just be such an idiot. Oh no that wouldn't be me… I meant he was every time nice to me...maybe sometimes even a little bit too nice...

Come on Judy it will not kill you to talk a while with Trevor...

"Well I wanted to go back to academy, if you want you can join me."

"That sounds good."

We walked out of the station and directly over the market place of Woodbury, I just wanted to take the shortest way back to the academy, no long walks and no excessive smalltalk. Behind us walked two old armadillo ladies who were in a loud an enthusiastic conversation with each other. Everything was fine until one of the two spotted us in front of them and suddenly the whole walk turned into an awkward situation...

"Isn't that an adorable couple in front of us! As if they were made for each other, I tell you Agnes."

"Yes, yes Dolores you are right, as if they were made for each other…"

Trevor started to grin over the statements of the two old ladies, 'adorable couple - just in your dream will those words become reality', was the only thing I had in mind. What did they all saw in him? I asked myself this question and started to look from his long white ears down to his white toes. Normally even a doe like me would go head over heels for him, he was tall, trained, had manners, green eyes, pure white fur with that he could even competed with Stella but as I looked at him and let his appearance slowly sink into my mind - there was nothing. I felt simply nothing, not that I wanted to but sometimes I catched myself with the thought if it was right what I was doing with Nick. I shouldn't think like that, it was stupid I know...No I felt stupid even to consider that anything was wrong about us but I couldn't simply let those feelings go… what was if we were the ones who are wrong? I mean wrong with everything our relationship, living together and even trying to save the town. I had those thoughts and couldn't do anything against them...there was only mammal I could share them with and Trevor was definitely not this mammal.

Trevor noticed of course my gaze and returned the 'favour'. And I knew that he took an extra long time to look at my butt and tail. Something I found charming from Nick but more than awkward from him.

But not just this the conversation was awkward, the whole walk was and so I tried it to turn it into a different direction.

"So Trevor where are you from?"

"Oh not so far from your hometown away, I was born and raised in Harelington. Nice little town. My parents live there in a little Burrow."

"Wow Harelington, that's… close. Do you also have a lot of siblings?"

Somehow it made me feel uneasy that he lived just 15 miles from my hometown away.

"No, I was an only child. I would have liked to have siblings but yeah...it shouldn't be."

"That's sad...and why do you joined the ZPD?...Sorry, I'm too curious again…"

"Don't worry you can ask me anything and honestly the answer is a little bit embarrassing for me…"

"Why that?"

"It's because of you... I saw what you did in the city, I mean the TV shows and newspaper articles and all of that. It just felt as the right thing to do to join the ZPD and... yeah I wanted to meet you, that was one of my aims."

We still had some minutes of walk to the academy but I also didn't like the direction this conversation.

"Oh...that's nice."

Really brain that is the best you can come up with? That's nice? I should ask Patty if she can check on you…

I wished myself back to some other conversation, no matter which, even the talk with Void wasn't so bad...after I witnessed this here. Trevor seemed also finally to realize that I carried a plastic bag with an he decided, gentlemammal like he tried to be, to help me with that...or at least he tried.

"Ha what am I for a stupid hare. I'm sorry, can I take your bag? I would carry it for you…"

His paw was already reaching for it but I could draw back in the last second.

"NO, no, no...it...it's okay, I can carry it by myself...but thanks."

I tried to smile as nice to him as possible, not that he raised any suspicion. But on the other hand, I couldn't find that hidden compartment either, so why should he find it?

Judy you think too much...again

He raised his paws and walked with an excusing gesture besides me… I knew it wasn't fair what I did.

"Sorry, sorry… It must be pretty important what's in there?"

"Well yeah, it is basically just tea but it is important for Nick. He asked me to get him some new."

"Nick, huh?"

His gaze and mood seemed suddenly to change and also his voice wasn't as friendly as before.

"You spend a lot of time with that 'fox' and you also fulfilling his wishes, I hope he is taking advantage of you."

That 'fox'? Taking advantage of me? Watch your mouth hare or you...calm down Judy...no tantrum…take it easy

"Don't worry he would never do something like that, we've been through a lot together. And I don't know... we understand each other, I mean despite that we are so different."

Trevor glanced at me with a look I couldn't really put into proper order. But to my luck, we almost reached the academy and then this terrible conversation had finally an end.

"I never know if I can trust him. It seems he knows more than he shares. For example every time he tells one of his stories, I have the feeling he is hiding some important facts…but what do I know."

Trevor maybe tried to hide it but I could hear the contempt he had towards my fox. Again I could feel how the anger in me tried to take over…

Stay calm Judy...

"You just don't know him well enough...maybe you need some more time with him."

A sarcastic chuckle was coming from the hare and I bet I looked very dazzled up to him.

"Haha, oh man. You almost sound like his girlfriend who tries to defend his behaviour. Ridiculous! Haha can you imagine something like this a fox and a bunny? Hahaha…"

Externally I tried to control myself but internally I was screaming and throwing a tantrum. If I could I would punch this stupid hare in the face. But I remembered Nick's words, that we needed to keep it down. It was better if no one knew about us at the moment...how I hated it to hide. Everyone besides us could be together like a normal couple but not we, no romantic strolling through the park, no dinner in a restaurant or anything that would come close to normality...but despite all this anger I had suddenly to smile. I could clearly hear his voice in my head and how he said to me 'Since when do we do something, that normal couples do?'. And I was finally able to answer Trevor, because of the anger that slowly subsided.

"Yeah… ridiculous…"

I knew I had a stupid smile on my face but I didn't care, one day we didn't had to hide anymore…

We finally reached the academy and with that my fox. Trevor was scratching his neck and tried to ask something but he had difficulties to find the right words or some guts. But I knew whatever he wanted to ask, I wouldn't like it.

"Well... if you want…mmh...we could jog later together…. But just if you have nothing else to do…"

Oh sweet cheese and crackers...come on brain now is your time to shine.

"I… I have still some paperwork to do sorry Trevor, maybe tomorrow?"

I could see how a wave of disappointment rolled over his face, it was hard I know. But maybe I had tomorrow no other explanation and had to accept his offer, unfortunately...

We were standing in the small entrance hall of the academy and he waved a last time to me and left for his trainings session.

I felt as if a heavy burden was off my shoulders…And as soon as he was out of sight I exhaled deeply and regretted instantly my bad thoughts about Trevor. Maybe he was still a good guy… who knew...but the things he said about Nick and I could feel that he thought bad about my fox.

"Where do you learned to lie like this Judy? Not that I wouldn't know the answer."

It was Nathan who stood with a mop, bucket and a big smile behind me. He placed both cleaning devices in the storage room, closed it and stood himself with crossed arms in front of me. He seemed to had to the cleaning service for today.

"Ah you know I learned maybe one or two things from Nick."

Smiling responded the wolf back to me. His eyes, which were because of the heterochromia his most striking visual characteristic, laid both on me with a soft gaze.

"Mmh as I assumed. Come, they are waiting on the roof. And I bet Nick is near a mental breakdown until now."

"Breakdown? How's that?"

He chuckled softly but didn't turned back to me.

"Let's just say, if Stella wouldn't do that for Patty, she would have given up by now."

"So bad?"

"Some mammals are not born to dance and I think Stella is one of those."

Nathan gave me on the way to the roof all the updates I needed about the last three days in the academy… and of course the newest gossip. Not that I wanted those infos too...but sometimes it could be quite entertaining what other mammals did so...don't judge me. It seemed like the Darlia sisters had yesterday evening a big argument, during the dinner time, which was so bad that one of her needed to sleep in a different room… but like I said not that too interested in something like this.

We entered the roof and I could already hear the four-quarter-beat of the music Nick choose for the training, something without text to have a minimum of distraction. And soon after the music followed the annoyed voice of my fox, it seemed not to go like planned. The cold wind was blowing quite chilly this evening and Nick tried an easy figure where he and Stella hold each other on the paw, both had to go some steps away and came back together. But somehow Stella stepped on his feet and this seemingly not for the first time on this day…

Both parted and Stella let her herself fall on her butt and laid down on the roof, obviously unsatisfied with the achievements of the day.

Nathan and I went over to Elliot who sat on the floor with a blanket around his shoulders and played some music on his notebook for the two. He tried not to laugh to hard about Stella failing and Nicks annoyed growling but couldn't keep it together from time to time, we joined him as the audience of this spectacle. He greeted me with the same words, he used now every time he saw me.

"Hey Boss."

"Hey El, so how are they doing?"

"Bad would be an exaggeration. Nick is back to the absolute basics like posture, beat, counting and now discofox. But yeah, look and see…"

Nick stood in front of Stella and rubbed his eyes with his right paw. The white vixen however, laid on the ground and looked with a grumpy face in direction of the dark and almost leafless woods. Nick finally began to speak to her in light annoyed tone but his voice sounded also a little bit chesty.

"3 steps, okay?"

"Yes."

"Not 4, not 2, just 3 and we are fine."

"I know…"

"Honestly Stella this dance is called Discofox, it is basically named after our species. How can you suck at 3 steps for and 3 steps back?"

"Jeez Nick, I get it, okay? This whole…'dancing thing' is new to me…but I will learn it."

"Promised?"

"Promised what Nick?"

"That you will learn it, no matter what? Come on, you know Patty will bring me hell on earth if you decline."

Nick was serious and handed Stella a paw to help her up. He waited patiently for her reply and paw to seal their little contract. With a devastating gaze on her face, looked the white vixen finally up to Nick, who still holds his paw up to her.

"So...you don't give up on me?"

"Nope, not so fast. Giving up on you, means losing to Patty and that is something I want to avoid at all costs."

"Fine, then I will continue this torturing…"

"That's the spirit."

Stella grabbed Nick's paw and pulled herself up from the ground. Cleaning her dark blue ZPD shorts and tank top she came slowly over to us. We were outside and a thermometer would tell us that we had a temperature of 6 degrees celsius and we four all wore long cloth but not Stella, she was still dressed as if we had summer, a fact that was surely to the liking of Patty.

Stella started to grin as soon as she saw me and greeted me with a little joke.

"Welcome back in the dance academy and now is your turn Judy. But don't worry I warmed him already a little bit up."

I just replied her with a smile and she sat herself between Nathan and Elliot, all three started almost instantly to discuss with each other. Nathan looked at her from head to toe with a confused gazed and started their little discussion.

"Don't you feel cold?"

"Why?"

"Because it is cold? I mean what do we have? 5? 6? Or maybe 7 degrees celsius?"

"And?"

"I don't know, I think it's quite chilly...look at El he almost freezes to death. And you are sitting here half naked, as if you can't decide between going to swim or taking another sunbath."

Elliot looked out of his blanket to the two predators and replied to Nathan and Stella.

"I'm fine, it's just a little bit cold..."

"Oh guys, you can ask me again as soon as we reach -10 degrees celsius if I'm feeling cold…at the moment this is like spring for me."

Nathan just shook with his head and Stella grinned like a little kid at Nathan.

"How is that even possible…"

Elliot answered the rhetorical question and to our surprise he didn't seem to understand his mistake.

"Arctic foxes have thicker fur, thicker skin and an extra layer of fat."

Stella's mouth dropped and with widened eyes she looked at Elliot, who still didn't know what he did…

"Do you want to say that I'm FAT!"

Nick stood now smiling besides me, I leaned myself on my fox chest and watched with joy the act that happened in front of us.

Elliot still didn't understand what was going on suddenly and Nathan who understood it, tried to avoid the upcoming conflict. Stella on the other hand turned herself to the next target and glared with a deadly gaze to Nathan.

"I-I don't think that El wanted to hurt you in any way Stella…"

"Oh yeah? And why did he said th….?"

Stella suddenly breaks her angry speech and turned her head slowly back to Elliot who poked the vixen with one of his fingers in the side of her tummy. But he didn't stopped after one little poke, no he kept doing that until he confirmed his theory. If a gaze could kill...

Nick and I look at each other with widen eyes and I silently whisper up to him.

"He didn't really does this?"

"Oh, yes he did carrots…"

"But why?"

"Only the devil knows that...I mean we are talking about Elliot…"

I was no longer sure if Elliot was really so smart… he looked in the eyes of the vixen and replied to her in his calm and explaining voice.

"Well, I would say you are fluffy but fat - No."

But Stella had long passed the point of no return, every word that anybody on this roof would say to her now, would be wrong. Nick and I know, so we kept silent.

"FLUFFY?! What the hell am I? A Pillow? That's it, I'm going to shower and you two think about what you did wrong!"

Nathan was now the one who answered insulted.

"What the hell did I do wrong?"

"YOU didn't stopped him! FLUFFY! I tell you what, tomorrow in the close combat training, I show you how fluffy I can be!"

Angry walked the white vixen away, still mumbling the words Elliot called her just minutes ago. Elliot still perplexed about the harsh reaction of Stella asked us remaining mammals what this all was about.

"What did I do wrong? The first thing was a fact, the second a test and since when is 'fluffy' an insult?"

Nathan again shook his head and spoke to Elliot.

"Come on El, we have to apologize to her. I explain to you on the way down, what we did wrong..."

Both stood up and walked slowly to the door, it was a strange picture, a wolf besides a beaver with a blanket over his head. Odd but for us somehow familiar. We could hear how both had an energetic talk until their voices became silent. A soothing calm laid itself on the surrounding area and I started to exhale deeply as soon as both left the roof, I liked them more than any other mammals but there was still my fox and now I was finally alone with him.

I looked up to Nick, who still let his gaze wander over the dark wood and the violet horizon, his red fur was slowly moved by the wind. As much as I wanted to bring my gaze away from him, it was simply not possible. I could stay here on the roof with him for the rest of the night, losing myself in his emerald eyes.

Even after the things Patty revealed to my today about Nick and the trick he played on me, I couldn't be mad at him.

Again I looked up in his soothing green eyes and knew the only thing that I really felt till now was that I missed him. One little smile of him and all the bad thoughts were gone. This damned fox, why did I fall so hard for him?

I closed my eyes and grasped him in a tight hug. Not even 10 seconds passed and his paws slowly stroke over my ears, I was simply happy now. Not like the time where I became a police officer or where we solved the Nighthowler case, it was...better. Much better. I knew that he would never leave me, I knew he would stand by my side and I knew that he was the one I needed and no one else.

"Have you missed me carrots?"

"You have no idea slick…"

"Ohh, maybe a little…"

With a smile on his muzzle he gave me a smooch on the head. I loved it when he did this. I could feel how the shiver was running down my spine until it reached my tail, which started to wiggle like crazy from the feeling.

"Wait here carrots…"

Nick detached slowly from me and walked over to Elliot's notebook, where he searched for something. Smiling he returned after a minute, followed by the sound of a piano and violins. I didn't know the song but that didn't matter, he knew it and I was sure that I would like it.

"I assume you can dance whiskers?"

Lightly giggling I responded to him with a teasing voice and one of my paws on my hip.

"Don't know… wanna try?"

"Oh Miss Hopps, there is nothing I could wish more at the moment than dancing with you. Shall we?"

He hold his paw open to me and without hesitation I laid mine in his.

"It would be a great pleasure to me."

With light force he dragged me onto his chest, laid his right arm around my shoulders and take with his left stretched out paw my right paw into his. My head leaned against his chest and I could feel that the training of the last months slowly changed my fox...and it was not that I... disliked it… rather the opposite.

Nick started slowly moving to the music and I followed him. Almost completely focused on my fox, I asked myself for a short moment if this song had no text but like so oft, he answered my unasked question by beginning to sing. But this time he was quiet, almost whispering and I knew everything that followed was just for me.

"Words like violence,

break the silence,

come crashing in,

Into my little world…"

I closed my eyes and concentrated completely on his voice, there was no other distraction just my fox, the music and our slowly moving bodies clasping to each other.

"Words are meaningless

And forgettable

All I ever wanted,

All I ever needed,

is here in my arms."

Time was had no chance to exist where I was now. If it was a minute, an hour or an entire day that we danced on the roof, I couldn't tell you. There was no wind, darkness or cold, just the two of us dancing in the shine of the moonlight, each of us embraced by the most important mammal we would ever had.

"All I ever wanted

All I ever needed

Is here in my arms

Words are very unnecessary

They can only do harm."

Nick ended the song and I could hear that the music slowly faded out. My breathing was now completely calm and my heart seemed to beat in the same rhythm as Nicks. It sounded just to romantic to be true. My mind was just filled with only one thought, that I loved him.

"I want to show you something whiskers,...but please don't think bad of me after this, okay?"

Before I could react was I on his arms and he carried me like a bride(I liked when he did this) over to a place that was very dark and where no light seemed to be. You didn't need to be a genius to understand what he wanted to do...or at least I thought so.

On a specially dark spot, he put me down but remained silent. For a moment I stood still and looked around me, nothing but pitch black darkness all around me and Nick.

Like an anchor, he stood there for me and looked out for something. Unsure what he wanted, I kept looking at him. After a minute, I could just assume, he started to smile and said.

"Perfect!"

He opened his ZPD trainings jacket and laid it on the ground, I was sure now where this road would lead to. But like so many times before, I underestimated him and thought he would act like a cheap casanova.

Nick laid down on the jacket, bend his knees and crossed his right leg over the left one. Smooth and relaxed he laid there, like someone on the beach in the middle of summer. But just with the difference, that it was autumn, maybe around 8 degrees celsius and a little bit windy. Puzzled I looked down on him, slowly not longer so sure if this was really the straight and dirty road we wanted to drive on.

His smirk grew as he looked at me but he remained silent. He just hit two times with his right paw besides him on the roof and signaled me to join him. And so I did. My head rested now on his upper arm and the rest of my body was clasped to his. He was warm and smelled like my fox...and to my delight I could feel that the training had changed him not too much, just the right extra. Like always when he tried to keep me warm, he wrapped his bushy tail over me. There was no better pillow or blanket in the world...well at least for me.

But I still didn't understand, I looked up to his face, which was just some inches away from mine and I saw that he watched me from his slightly higher perspective.

"Nick, what are we doing here?"

Still smiling at me, he turned his head straight and looked right up in the sky.

"Look up, then you understand what I wanted to show you."

And I did – the academy laid in an almost complete dark area, surrounded by woods, fields and smaller towns. No big light sources available. Almost a perfect place to watch the sky at night.

What you could see right now, was a clear sky illuminated by thousands and thousands of bright stars looking down on us. Some of them twinkling, some of them shined bright like a light that would never fade and some of them were dull and almost on the edge of dying. Clusters with huge numbers of stars, areas with almost no light and then again coming directly from the pitch black a star very luminous. I knew it was the North star or also called Polaris, dad showed it to me and my siblings after a very long and hard day on the field in the summer. Exhausted and tired we sat, laid or stood under the firmament and watched the stars with our young bunny eyes. On the field was no one, except for 100 bunnies and their dad, for me it was an easier time. No crime, no police, no...Nick. Like I said, easier not better.

I look over to Nick and had to chuckle, the thought that crossed my mind, which was given to me so many years ago and which I now saw in a complete different light. My chuckle grew into a small laughter. Smiling looked Nick over to me.

"Oh? Such good mood Miss Hopps?"

"I...I just remembered something my dad told us, when we were little."

A smile, triggered by old memories, flashed over my face. Of warm summer days on the fields, playing with my siblings and being on adventures with Jessica and Jimmy in the local woods.

"The wisdom of Steward Hopps... come on fluff, share it with me." said Nick grinning.

We laid both on our back, head to head and cheek to cheek. If there was somewhere a border between us, I couldn't say where Nick ended and myself began. I know it sounds trashy but right then it was an almost perfect moment.

Like a teacher, I stretched out my paw to the sky and pointed with it to a bright star, which was slightly left of us.

"Do you see the big star, which is surrounded just by darkness?"

"The bright one?"

Nick did as if he had never heard about it but I was sure that he just wanted to do me favor. An ex hustler, who didn't knew how to navigate through the night? Something I could hardly imagine.

"Yeah,...this is the North Star or also called Polaris. Anyhow, my dad told us this after a long day on the fields, where we all had to help. After the work and already in the middle of the night, we all looked at the sky and my dad said back then 'If you ever get lost in the world, you just have to remember where the North star is, he is your anchor out there and he will always guide you home.'."

Silent, followed Nick my example and stretched his right paw but he had a completely different intention. For a moment I was confused because he enclosed his paw around my upper arm but not long. Careful he let his paw run over my fur, reaching further and further up with it, until he enclosed mine. Smiling he lowered our arms until they reached the floor again and turned to me.

"But that's not what you chuckled about or darling?"

Damned fox, he knew me too well. Also smiling, I turned my head to Nick and continued my story.

"No...I chuckled about the fact that for me...you are my North Star, the one who will always guide me home...my anchor in this crazy world."

"And so are you for me Judy, but if you want I can be all of that for you and even more,..."

With every word he said, he gave me a short kiss on my lips.

"...your lover…"

Kiss.

"...your best friend…"

Kiss.

"...your partner in the police…"

Kiss.

"...your husband…"

No kiss this time. Nick stopped and raised up from his lying position, sat himself down and laid his paws on his knees.

This time I followed his example and sat besides him, resting my head on his shoulder. The mood had changed and for that I didn't needed to see Nick, I could hear his unsteady and way too fast heartbeat, together with his reaction I knew what my fox had. I went with my paw over his back, until I reach his neck, where I stopped.

"Nick you…"

"Yeah…, I know Judy and I got carried away…sorry."

"One day Nick…"

"I will take this as a promise Miss Hopps."

"You better do, because I'm a mammal of my word."

Silence came over us and we were back to watch the stars. Nick took the jacket from the ground and laid it around my shoulders without a word.

"Don't you feel cold?"

"Nah it's fine, you give me all the warmth I need. The only thing that will come in the winter, is that my voice will get all messed up. So I better tell you because it doesn't sounds nice."

"Your voice?"

"Yeah, don't know why. But this is what happens every year...well can't help it."

"Crazy idea from me but how about a scarf?"

"Mmh Sounds good, never had one and only the devil knows why…"

"Because you were to lazy to buy one."

I replied with a grin. My mind made a little note on his last comment but not long and we were back watching stars.

After maybe ten minutes or so, I can hear a chuckle from him.

"And you thought, I would carry you over here, rip your cloth of and give you one happy moment after the next? Tse, tse, tse, Miss Hopps, I am truly shocked .What for a huge dirty mind can hide in such a little bunny."

"Well, what should I say... sometimes, even I don't know what to expect from you."

He smiled but I thought that it is time to address the elephant in the room.

"Promise me something Nick."

"Whatever you wish for, my bunny."

"Never again remain silent when I ask you for a plan, you tell me everything about it and don't send me off to buy you some drugs without telling me, okay?"

His smile suddenly dropped and I could see that he was a little bit worried.

"Ah I see Patty told you already…"

"And showed me the hidden compartment..."

"Wow, it seems like it is time for an apology... Listen…"

"It's okay Nick, I know that you trust me… you just wanted to protect me. But we are doing this together, we six. You don't have to go alone, I know that we can't always play fair, okay?"

"Okay good...Wait six?"

"Seems like your sister want to help with medical support. She knows everything so don't be mad at Stella, your sister… had her ways to make her talk."

Nick took his jacket and placed it around my shoulders. His musky scent filled instantly my nose. I stepped down and started to get dressed, Nick continued with his talk in the meantime.

"Oh El, had another idea, he said for intern communication and so one we should just use code names."

"You mean like the company?"

"Yep, it worked for them, so why not for us?"

"Sounds smart, so I can choose now my own code name?"

I sat myself back on the edge, where I laid just minutes ago and listened to Nick's explanation. He grinned down at me and I knew he was up to something.

"Almost whiskers, the others already chosen their names. But for us two I made a special deal."

"A special deal?"

"Yep I choose your name and you choose mine. What do you say?"

"What…?"

"Believe me, you will like it."

"Okay, okay. Tell me the ones from the others and then mine. And then I will decide about your name."

Delighted like a little child, he looked to me and I saw that he was not so far away from his sister's personality.

"Okay listen Elliot chose 'Capone', Stella chose 'Shiva' and Nathan took the name 'Fenrir'. And you my dearest bunny of them all will from now on be known as 'Queen'."

My eyes went wide - Queen? That couldn't be serious...but we were speaking about Nick here, so it probably is true.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Not in the slightest."

His grin was bigger than ever but I that would soon change.

"Okay my dearest fox, I accept, I will be 'Queen' but…"

I went over to him and laid my paws on his shoulder, our muzzles some inches away from another.

"...from this day on, you will be your Queen's dearest 'Jester'. So do you accept?"

His facial expression not changed for one second. Did he waited for that outcome? Or did he just accept everything I say?

"Well I think it is quite fitting, accepted."

Damned he didn't fell for it. Okay then I had also to accept my new code name. Queen...mmh there were worse names than that.

"Say Nick, didn't we had an agreement? No snuggling in the public?"

"Judy, I talked about Zootopia not the academy. You know, sometimes you have to bend the rules and sometimes you have to break them. And this today was just a little bit of bending..."

"Fine, fine accepted, there are exceptions. I think I can live with the fact that we sometimes bend our rules. But now tell me your great plan to get rid of the Meyer brothers."

Again he was enthusiastic like a little kid. He sat himself beneath me and started to explain.

"Okay listen, my beauty. For this trick I need a bunny, a beaver, 10 gram of the finest grass in all of Zootopia and two wolves. This will be our first operation as a team and I planned it for Halloween, so Queen any ideas for the operation name?"

"You said it will take place on Halloween?"

"Yup."

My grin couldn't be bigger at the moment, I turned to my fox and said.

"Okay Jester, tell the others operation 'Trick and Treat' will start on Halloween. "

Grinning gave me Nick another smooch on my head, took the tea box, Elliot's Notebook and walked with me on his paw back to the door and down to the others. Smiling he said to me on the way.

"And that Judy is the reason, why I love you so much. You not just accept my madness, you even go further with it."


	17. Broken Contract

**17\. Broken Contract**

"Time doesn't heal anything, it just teaches us how to live with the pain." - Unknown

 **Trogon**

'Tudos got them and now we need answers. You have time till 11 am, we have a meeting later on with the council.' - as soon as I got this message from the boss I was more than enthusiastic to start my working day. Not because of the council meeting but to interrogate those two would be for sure a good starting point. Mmh it seemed to be sunday, otherwise King would have called Woodpecker and not me. Unfortunately I was just the number three in the hierarchy of the executive department of the company but this was still enough for me. The old bastard Kingfisher wouldn't live forever and Woodpecker had to high standards to lead such a position, every time he had the chance to let a mammal live he did it. What a sissy. Sometimes you had to kill someone...and if it is just for fun.

I stepped with an old song on my lips and a smile into the elevator and pushed the buttons for the underground section 3. Whistling I looked into the mirror of the elevator and corrected my tie. A huge and handsome gray wolf of 35 years stared back at me. I looked good and I knew that. Talking to the image in the mirror, I was correcting a little bit of fur and some places on my black suit.

"Oh boy, I'm gonna make a few sluts clear tonight, that's for sure."

Chuckling, I turned myself back to the door of the elevator, waiting for it to open. I was different than the boss and Woodpecker. Kingfisher was just a pure professionalist, I never saw him react out of hate or that he liked what he did. Every time a clear shot and he was done. And Woodpecker… he had this stupid sense of morality, where he talked himself into the idea that we protected the city, that they needed us and we were the backbone of the society…hahaha. This fool, if anything came close to the truth than that we owned this city and anyone who wanted to oppose us would die, easy as that. But I was different, I was a sadist and I loved my job and I loved being this way. Others run to a psychologist and needed a therapy, all that I needed was a knife. We needed an answer from a mammal? No problem, hours of joy for me, an answer for King and the best of all they payed me for this. Oh and they payed good.

Whatever...time for some fun. The elevator door opened and I started to walk down the corridor with a big smile on my face. Some other mammals come across me but none of them looked into my eyes or to me at all. They all keep their gazes nice on the ground in front of them, they all didn't want to attract attention and least of all they wanted mine. There were a few clear advantages of being the crazy guy at work, no one asked you stupid questions, there was always a coffee for you and the women mostly didn't complain if you grab them a little bit harder.

I stopped in front of the door with the label 'examination room' and had again to chuckle about it, second home or happy place would be more fitting for me. I entered the room and greeted all mammals that were there at the moment, which meant I greeted three, Todus the big grizzly bear looked with an annoyed gaze over to me but I responded to him with just a smile.

"Well, hello, hello, hello! If that aren't our two in disgrace co-workers! And you of course Todus."

The two wolves kneed on the ground paws and legs in handcuffs and their eyes blindfolded. As soons as they heard my voice, their heads tried to locate the source of the sound but it was pointless.

"Where do you found them Todus?"

The grizzly walked slowly over to me and aimed for his jacket which was hanging on the wall behind me.

"Evernight Lakes - Hidden in the 'Dancing Maiden'."

He just put on his jacket and wanted to leave but like ever I wanted to tease him a little bit more and see how far I could go.

"Oh thank you Todus, you know I like those deep and intense conversations between us. They always are something very special to me."

"Fuck you, Trogon."

He was pissed now, exactly what I wanted. Smiling I replied to him.

"I love you to, honey."

Slamming, he closed the door behind him and left me with my work alone. I looked on my watch 9:53 am.

"Okay boys, we have just under an hour of fun, so don't disappoint me."

The last part almost sung by me and how my voice slowly subsided I looked through the room. Everything was covered in white tiles, some racks, chairs and tables standing on the wall where I kept my 'tools'. But all in all it was very minimalistic, just how I liked it.

I went over to my little changing room, just some dividing walls to had some privacy and take off my jacket, my tie, watch, phone, gun and so on. Everything laid down in a row on one of my tables, tidy and neat. At last I put on my apron, I hated it when something comes on my fine cloth and I had no time today for further changes.

It was by now that I saw that there was a little note for me. Some infos from King, no blood, no broken bones or missing limbs… boring...but okay.

I went finally over to the two wolves, both kneeling down and the handcuffed arms stretched out to the ceiling where a chain kept them in place. A sack kept them blindfolded but I could see that both were trembling and I liked it already.

I would have my fun here so much is clear… or so I hoped.

I stood myself in front of them and with both of my paws I pulled the bags of their heads, the bright neon light of the room was blinding them and they needed a moment to orientate themselves in their new surrounding. Bill and Jim Meyer, failed in their task to infiltrate the ZPD and then they also run away, bad choice boys, bad choice.

"Good morning sunshines. How was your sleep, mmh?"

None of them answered me, both looked in terror up and I respond to both with my best smile.

"Okay guys listen. We have two options at this point. Number one, you tell me what happened, which means less pain for you or you don't talk which means more fun for me. So… do you understand?"

Both nodded.

"Good, each of you will now tell me their name, alrighty?"

Again nodding from both sides. The wolf to my right paw started to speak.

"My name is Bill Meyer."

"A-and I-I'm his brother J-Jim."

Ohh and there we have our weakest part in the chain. This game is so easy when you know how to play it, I thought a bit teasing couldn't be bad.

"Well hello, J-J-Jim, could it be that you are a little bit s-s-scared?"

Jim nodded to me. His brother just watched in terror how the last remaining member of his family broke apart and that piece by piece.

"Okay and now story time, who wants to be the first to present me a decent explanation? J-J-Jim how about you?"

Jim looked very fast over to his brother Bill, who started instead of his brother slowly to explain what happened.

"We had some weed in the academy and get caught, to not get punished by you guys we thought we could run away and tried to hide in the 'Dancing Maiden' to gather enough money for an escape. But…"

Smiling I respond to him.

"But we were faster, right?"

Bill nodded and I could see that he felt save but in here something like safety didn't exist, it never had and never would. He didn't saw my fist coming from below, hitting him directly in his stomach. Too weak to control his body, he vomited on the ground. Coughing he hang on the chain from the ceiling and tried to find some breath. Jim looked in panic from his brother over to me and back, not knowing what he should feel, say or do...

Still smiling, I grabbed Bill's head by his top fur and forced him to look into my eyes. And there was the sight I loved so much, pure fear.

"I do this for a long time now Bill and believe me or not but I'm good at it. So…"

Letting his head hanging, I walked around them and shortened the chain, so that their arms were now stretched to the ceiling and both had to stand upright in front of me. Jim was okay but his brother was trembling like crazy. I assumed it was still from my punch.

"...I believe you lied to me. Something happened in the academy, you are not so stupid that you can't hide some grams of weed in front of some idiotic police trainer. Or am I…."

The door opened and I couldn't finished my sentence. Slightly annoyed I looked over to see who it was. Kingfisher stepped into the room and my gaze softened a bit.

"Don't mind me. I just want to watch."

Like always he looked with his expressionless gaze over to me and I know I shouldn't tease him but fuck it.

"I see boss, you need your daily dose of pain and voyeurism. No problem, take a seat and enjoy the show...Oh and the tissues are on the table, just in case you need some."

I blink over to him but I get no reaction. The old geezer just walked over to a chair, which stands behind the two wolves, so that they couldn't see him. He sat down crossed his legs and put his paws over his knees, ready to watch the rest of the show.

I typed with one finger against my forehead and tried to remember where I left my little act… damned just because of the old geezer, I had to improvise...well fuck it. Turning myself to Jim, I watched him with a sadistic smile.

"So big boy, now is your time. Tell us what happened."

But he was not ready to talk under such circumstances. Uncontrollable he started to cry like a little pup and asked under loud and heavy sobbing.

"W-why a-are you doing this to u-us?"

I started to laugh hysterically and Jim looked in plain terror at me, I bet he wished himself to be somewhere else...what did I think, anywhere but here would be nice for him, his brother Bill had long given up and let his head hang. I clasped Jim's snout with my paw and force him to look at me.

"Why? You really ask why? Because you signed a fucking contract, which you two broke. And to break a contract with us means most of the time death. As soon as you signed that thing, you two were our property. We decide what you do, we decide how you live and most important we decide when and how you die. Got it?"

Looking up to Kingfisher I saw that he became impatient and that was never a good sign.

"If this is all they talk about, then end it Trogon, we will get no useful information from those two. They are not of such high importance. Let the Cleaning Department take care of the bodies later on."

I sighed and my smile vanished from my face. There was no talking back at him now, whenever King was here I had to work like it stood in the books. No wasting of time, clean shoots to the head,... blablabla. Again, boring as hell. Well one day he would be gone and then I could make my own rules... with Blackjack and hookers, hahaha...yes.

I walked over to the desk and got my gun but of course he had also this time something to criticize about me.

"And for god's sake use the damned silencer and don't do it like last time!"

I sighed again and rolled with my eyes.

"Yes daddy."

Sometimes he was more a nagging father than my boss, 'Naughty little Trogon did every time the wrong things, not like Woodpecker our little asskisser and overachiever'.

I walked back to the two wolf boys and attached slowly the silencer to my gun.

"I promise guys this will hurt just for a short moment."

Jim closed his eyes and tried to ignore as good as he could my existence, such stupid behaviour as if his problem would disappear from this. Smiling I pointed my gun at him and wanted to end this little failed party until Bill interrupted the final act.

"WAIT!"

"Oh! Someone wants finally to talk? Well fine, let it out."

"My brother, please spare his life. He had nothing to do with this."

"Bullshit you both signed the contract and for us this is binding."

"NO! He...he hadn't signed anything. I faked his signing, so that we could join your organisation…"

"Uuuh that's cold man and I mean that even for my standards. But I can smell a backstory, so go on, I'm all ears. But from the beginning."

"But please… don't kill him."

"Listen, I'll promise that I will not kill both of you, okay?"

Bill nodded and inhaled deeply.

"From our family are just Jim and I left, it was never easy for the both of us. I've always tried my best to keep us afloat. Recently it was more and more difficult to make some money on the streets. And… and I had enough to live just from the bread crumbs of some higher mammals, I wanted the good life too, for me and my brother. So I signed us both in."

Bill looked for a short moment over to his crying brother, you could see something like love in his gaze and a lot of worries. If you knew the both for longer than 10 minutes, you would know that Jim couldn't survive on his own in this town, he needed his brother like a blind person needed it's white cane. I made a little movement with the gun, so that he continued with his story.

"We thought we could go on with our street life in the academy and as soon as we knew that the oldest son of the Anderson family was there with us, we wanted to blackmail him and get some extra money out of him. We knew how many money they have...but he was different…"

"Different what the hell did that means?"

"He wasn't intimidated by us…"

I came closer to him and my sadistic smile was for the next words just inches away from Bill's snout.

"And? I wouldn't be intimidated by you two, either."

Bill kept silent, it was King who answered my question.

"Elliot Anderson is a beaver, Trogon. Prey of the lowest physical appearance, tell me how many beaver wouldn't be intimidated by two relativ big wolves? But what is HE doing in the academy?"

Bill didn't answered instantly, his mental state wasn't the best. But still better than the one of his brother.

"He will become a member of the ZPD data center unit."

 _A beaver? Anderson family? Why the hell wanted King to knew something like this?_

"Why do you ask about the beaver, boss?"

"I will explain it later to you. And you, continue."

King nodded and replied shortly. Bill needed again some time to gather himself.

"... o-on Halloween, we tried our typical intimidation and this time it was working. We thought he grew tired of it, so h-he said he was sorry and couldn't give us money but he could give us some weed. We took it and thought that it would be better than nothing…but…"

He looked again over to his brother who had by now stopped to cry like a baby but was now just staring to the ground.

"...right after this we had training and exactly there they made a drug control...we both had still the small bags of weed with us and we knew that every found drug will lead to an expulsion from the academy. This was it, we left the academy on the same day. And this is all I know…"

I turned my head around to Kingfisher who sat still on his chair and thought about something.

"Have you heard enough Boss?"

"Still some inconsistencies but yes...enough with this, we have more important things to do."

"Finally…"

With a slight chuckle and big grin on my face, I turned myself back to the two brothers. I looked deep into the eyes of Bill and he instantly knew what I was up to.

"Any last words to your beloved brother Bill?"

"NO! PLEASE, NO! NOT HIM, TAKE ME."

"Strange last words but okay."

Without hesitation I pointed the silenced gun at Jim's head, he didn't even looked up to me. He knew almost nothing in his pathetic life but I bet he knew that he wouldn't come out of this alive.

The muffled sound of the shot echoed through the room and then remained nothing but silence for a short moment. Bill was looking perplexed and with widened eyes at first up to me and then over to his brother, still not realising what happened just seconds ago.

Jim's body hung lifeless and slumped on the chain. A fine trickle of blood was slowly running down his head, forming red drops of blood on his snout until they became too big and fell to the ground. Drop for drop was the blood spreading on the white tiles, I had to say those things had every time their own beauty. If you take your time to watch them. In the end he died like he lived, it was nothing more than a disappointing end for a disappointing life.

"WHY! YOU SAID, YOU WOULD SPARE HIM!" shouted Bill.

"First thing, not so loud, I'm standing right in front of you. And second I said I wouldn't kill you both, which I didn't do. So be thankful that you are still alive."

"THANKFUL? BUT...BUT...Jimmy…" stuttered Bill to me.

His voice was now nothing more than slight whimpering.

"He's dead accept it or do you really thought we could use that dummy for anything useful?"

The grey wolf in front of me started like crazy to cry and sob, there was no point in talking with him now. The only thing he could do at this moment was to feel the pain and get used to it, the faster the better.

I turned myself around and walked over to my table and started to change my cloths, detached the silencer from my gun, put on my watch and started to knot my tie. King was checking something on his phone and I turned back to Bill. I wanted to enjoy his agony a little bit more but this was just possible until I heard his demanding voice.

*soft whisper*

"What did you said Billy?"

"Kill me…"

"What?"

"P-Please, h-he was the last one I had…please kill me."

My paw clasped around his snout and this time I played the angry one. He needed to understand where his place was and to whom his life was depending from now on.

"Kill you? Why should I do that? Or did you forget that we have a contract and according to that your miserable life is ours now. You had your chance and you failed and don't even try to blame Jim's death on me or anybody else."

I detached myself from him, stood up and put on my jacket. I was not done with him yet. While I was correcting my sleeves, until I liked how they stood. I continued talking with him. My voice couldn't be more sarcastic than at this moment

"Listen Billy, most of us had a choice in life, we could decide what we want to do. I for example love it to torture mammals and see their despair, so I took the chance and became, what I am now. But your brother had no chance, he depended on you and you know that. So see it as your punishment, from now on till the day where we say that you are allowed to die, remember this: you bailed on your brother, you let him die, it is your fault and no one else and all of that just for your own greed."

Again he was looking over to his dead brother but couldn't bear the view for too long. Disgusted and full of regrets he turned his face to me but didn't said anything.

Finally dressed and ready to leave my little funroom, I said my last words for now to Bill.

"The boss and I need to leave for some time and you should know by now that I'm a merciful mammal, so I give you and your brother a last bit of quality time together. What do you think?"

Chuckling I looked at his devastated face.

 _He was done but hey I had my fun. This was truly a great start for a day, well at least for me._

 _Mentally destruction or physically it didn't mattered, as long as I could see all of their feelings mirrored in their eyes like despair, hate, regret, agony and so on. But the most important feeling of all was hope, those tiny little bit that they need to not go crazy or to break. The feeling that everything would be good in the end but it never would._

 _You know madness and hope had a lot in common, it was always a small bridge...but when you fall you would be lost, forever._

Smiling I walked over to King.

"Okay boss, we can."

"What will you do with him?"

"Ah, I think Sven can still need some worker for his laboratory."

"Fine do as you please."

We were just leaving the room as King and I heard a muffled sentence from Bill, that let us both turn around. For a short moment Kings and my eyes met and I could saw that he was not delighted about the news. With big steps I walked back to Bill, slightly annoyed about the turn of events. Bill didn't seem to understand which importance this one short sentence had. What should I say he was just too stupid.

"Repeat it!"

"What?"

"Repeat your last sentence!"

The confused looking Bill tried to remember what he said last.

"I-I said N-Nick was right…"

"WHICH NICK? And RIGHT with what?"

 _Please, don't say Wilde. Anything but not this name..._

"N-Nick Wilde, he talked with us in secret and Jim...Jim told him that we joined you. Nick said we made a big mistake and, and that we should leave the city as long as we can."

 _Fuck, they didn't even understand what happened to them… they got hustled and that so easily. I could already imagine who was the officer who controlled them but I needed to hear it from him. I needed a confirmation from him._

"Okay, okay so he knew about you two and that you joined us. Now, who was the officer that controlled you two with the drugs?"

"Judy Hopps was the…"

He couldn't end his sentence, my fist was hitting him directly in the muzzle as soon as he said her name. My second and third strike, landed also on his head and I could saw that he was trembling again. I would have beat him to death, if King wouldn't stay right behind me to wait.

Warm and wet blood was all over my right fist and I could feel how it wetted my fur, normally I liked that feeling but in that moment it was just annoying.

I exhaled deeply and grabbed Bill's swollen face. In a half angry and half calm voice I spoke to him and I hoped he got it this time.

"You fucking idiot… you get fooled by a fox and a bunny…. Let me guess Wilde is in the same room as Anderson, right?"

Bill just nodded slightly and closed his eyes. He waited for another punch but that one would never come.

King was still standing in front of the door, waiting for me. His gaze told me everything I needed to know, he was pissed but also in deep thoughts about the current events.

"Let him be, we have more important things to do. And maybe they even did us a favour, to kick out those two."

"Fine."

I let his head go, exhaled deeply and started to walk back to the door.

Together we left the room and just in case Bill would came back to his senses, I kept on the light so that he could have a little bit fun with his brother…. Where the hell did Woodpecker found those useless mammals? A last look back revealed me that he was in a drifting between unconscious and not reliable. I bet that would stay for a while.

 _Great, I was still annoyed but I had to keep going. A council meeting was nothing I witnessed every day, mostly because Woodpecker was going with the boss and not me. But I was fine by that. You asked yourself maybe why, I was fine with that, so listen._

 _Imagine get-together with your family but everyone, really everyone hates everybody else on the table without exception. And now imagine you didn't even know this mammals by their real name, you just had a fancy code name to identify most of them but despite all of that you had to work together. Sounds great right? Yeah for me neither. It was basically like the upcoming Christmas, just with more hate._

 _To our luck we didn't had to drive to the meeting, it was this time in our building. I looked at my watch, 10:46 am. We still had time and better that way than different, King became every time extra grumpy if we were too late for appointments._

 _We stepped into the elevator and King pressed the button for the 80th floor. I had to grin about this, no matter how crazy or powerful a mammal was, they all enjoyed a good view and the one you have from the meeting room was one of the best. Directly from the heart of Zootopia over all surrounding buildings, the huge river, Tundra Town and so on and so on. You could almost enjoy this, if you could ignore the 13 other mammals that pierce you with their hate-filled eyes._

"Take this and clean your paw."

"Huh?"

I looked confused from his paw, where he held a tissue, over to my bloody fist. The red liquid still dropping on the ground and creating a little lake of blood on the ground of the elevator. I didn't even recognize that it looked so gory.

"Oh my bad but you are right boss, we didn't want to bother the other freaks in the room. They could smell it and start to kill each other…"

I smiled down at him but like always he didn't react, it didn't matter. But to my big luck there was no blood on my shirt or suit. We still had some floors to go with the elevator, so I thought it would be a good moment to talk about his son.

"So boss will we do something about your son and the bunny?"

"When the time comes I will handle them myself. They are an annoyance and nothing more."

King made a little dramatic break.

"What have they achieved till now? They fooled two idiots, that's it. So... Why are you and Woodpecker so full of worries about them?"

I exhale deeply and became for a moment serious. Something I did just very rarely and which I didn't like much.

"There are several points that bother me and most likely also Woodpecker, first if you like it or not and even if you admit it or not just the two of them took down Bellwether. She a young and inexperienced Bunny cop and he an untrained fox hustler, did all of that. Without help and without resources. I asked myself what could both of them achieve with training and the ZPD in their back. And what bothers me even more, what is if they are not alone?"

"What do you mean with that?"

"What I mean is all the mammals who took action against us, failed because of one reason - they were alone. So what if Hopps and Wilde have found or will find others to support them? And you know as good as me, that this organisation is not as stable as it seems."

It needed my whole bravery to look into his eyes and I saw that he was not amused about my last statements but he also knew it was true, all it needed was the right mammals at the right time and this house of cards would collapse.

"Others? Nobody in this goddamn city would entrust some other mammal their life. You have to be a complete freak to join them."

"This two would. They seem to be close..."

King turned suddenly around and looked deep into my eyes. I knew not many things in the world that made me nervous but his gaze was definitely one of them and to all of that came that something made him angry.

"What do you want imply with that? That they could be a couple, like Woodpecker suspected? I don't even want to imagine something disgusting like that."

"Wow, wow sorry boss, I didn't know you were so sensitive about this topic."

But he was going on with his rage talk and it didn't became better...

"Order, stability, honor this are things I believe in. Even if Nick and the other on is a failure, I would kill to stop my blood from doing something like that! Have you understand me? And I'm not talking about some sexual adventures, no I'm talking about natural order and live decision."

He was angry and you better not talked back at him when he was like that. His eyes were now completely fixated on mine, he wanted to hear the one thing he teached me first. The two words that showed him, that he was my chief and I just an underling. Back then when he asked me this question the first time, I had his gun on my head and his foot in my neck, now 8 years later this was no longer needed to knew where my place was.

"Yes, sir."

He nodded and showed a little smile to me, his typical way to end a conversation.

"Good."

The elevator stopped and he walked out without turning back. I took some steps and stepped to a window and looked down to all the mammals, who had now the size of ants... Some time for myself and I would be back to my former self.

I walked slowly up to the conference room but I was still thinking about King's words.

 _Today I can mark in my diary, as another day I survived with the old geezer and his little tantrums. Great now I also knew that he was someone who likes to keep it into the own species._

 _Don't get me wrong I like it to hunt out of my own territory, if you know what I mean. Panther, Jackal, Mountain Lion, Tiger or any other bigger predator, I wouldn't push those hotties from the edge of my bed._

 _Talking about hotties…_

I walked into the room and took a quick look around, Swan the beautiful young lynx and her grandmother Mother Goose were already here. I smiled over to her but she replied just with a disgusted look.

 _Oh Swan, when this organisation is going down, I will take you with me but before that I will have my fun with you...that is my promise._

Unfortunately saw the old lynx my gaze to her granddaughter as well and like her was she not very delighted about it. She was smoking her cigarettes with one of those old fashioned cigarette holders, you knew normally just from old movies. Her suit was so severe like her face.

"King, you should shorten the leash of your dogs. I don't like his gaze."

"Don't worry, if he does this again you can have him, my dear."

"What should I do with such a stray dog? Put him to sleep?"

Kingfisher was smiling slightly to Mother Goose and the old lynx was replying with the same gesture. All in here maybe hate each other but the old ones had at least a ground level of respect for each other. But as I switched my look between them, I thought I could see something more than even respect. Maybe something in their past? I didn't know why but I had knack for that, this could be the reason why was so good at interrogations.

 _Oh my god what if our old purity loving fox, had something with the old lynx. Hahaha that would be great, tomorrow I will drop one or two words about this topic...but smooth and carefully. Let's see how he reacts...and hopefully don't kill me..._

"You my dear, could do to him whatever you want."

"Fine, I still need a new rug in front of my bed. His fur seems to be of good use for this task."

King was just chuckling but kept quiet, this time I replied to her.

"Haha, very funny."

But she didn't gave in and smiled over to me.

"Trogon my dear, that was no joke."

 _Dirty old hag, your time will also come to an end._

I could hear her chuckle all the way to my place besides Kingfisher. But as soon as I sat myself down and looked over to her she was in a discussion with her granddaughter. I turned to King and said in very sarcastic tone.

"Thanks for the help boss, if I ever need something I will not ask you."

Still with a smile on his face he replied dry.

"You are welcome, Trogon."

We waited till 11:05 am, at this time arrived finally Peacock and his son Phasan to the meeting, laughing and giggling they sat down on the table besides Mother Goose and Swan. And now could start the real 'fun', Owl was a bureaucrat through and through so everything had to go according to his procedure, which meant every leader had to name himself, his underling and the department. And every time started Kingfisher the round and Mother Goose ended it. Owl took a short look around and welcomed all mammals in the round.

"I welcome you all to the weekly council of the 7 departments. Kingfisher would you please start?"

"Of course. Attending the council today is the first in command Kingfisher and the third in command Trogon. Department of Executions and Counter Measurements."

 _Oh jeez, how is Woodpecker surviving this every week…_

Crow was the next in the line and like the last time, I asked myself how in the hell did he became one of the leader of this organization. He was a 42 year old meerkat, who was insecure, slow and had a bad stand among the other leaders. I bet even his first worker Raven, would do a better job than him. Raven the Llama besides him looked at least more secure. But unfortunately, once in the job just death could free you from it.

"Y-yes, sorry. Ehm t-today attending the council the first in command Crow and the second in command R-raven. D-department of Data processing and g-gathering."

The next one in line was Crane, the fat warthog controlled every broadcasting channel in town and even distribution methods beyond websites, newspaper, radio and tv. If you wanted that a special news will not go public or that another news would spread like wildfire, he was your mammal. But Crane was almost never speaking, most of the work did Quail, a cute little female ocelot which stood like Swan on my list of female mammals I would like to know much better in private.

There were also different rumors going on about Crane and Quail but I could confirm almost none of them. Even now he was just sitting there and smiled at us all with a dirty grin, I didn't know what it was but something about the two was odd...

Quail cleared her throat and started to speak with a fine but energetic voice.

 _I bet she went jogging every day...yes she is the type for that. Maybe I should accompany her one day..._

"A good day everyone. Today attending the council the first in command Crane and the second in command Quail for the Department of Media Control. Thank you for your time."

 _What a waste of a beautiful mammal for this sick fuck, well you can't have everyone you want in your department..._

Owl, the leader of this little council prepared himself for his talk. He was the most mysterious of us all, behind the curtain he was pulling the strings of the town council, the administration and the mayor. And with that he had power over the ZPD, ZBI and ZIA, the judges and other institutions of the city. He was an calm and stoic old ibex in his 60s but we all knew he was holding on to his power and Owl would never let go of it, at least not without force... But he had disadvantage, he was alone. He had no subordinates, no second or third mammal in command, there was just an Ibex and nothing more. Understandable that he hid himself especially well in the shadows of the town administration.

"Today attends the council Owl first and only in command over the Department of Administration Control."

Hawk, a middle-aged red deer was the next leader in the row but like most times he wasn't here. Like so often his close confidant Kite, a middle-aged roe deer, was taking his job and that's more than serious. Arms or mammals, they could provide you with everything you needed or wanted. The rumor went around that Hawk liked his hobby a little bit too much, what that is? Well he liked to hunt...but not fish or birds...no he liked to hunt mammals. Most of the mammals from the trafficking were sold but some remained in his possession and those were just for his hobby.

"Hello everyone, today is attending the council Kite, second in command and I serve also as a representative of Hawk, I'm allowed to speak and decide in his name. Department of Arm- and Mammal trafficking."

The deer sat fast down and Peacock the hyena was the next in the round of leading mammals. We all knew his real name, to be exactly, a lot of mammals in this town knew him but not his second field of profession, which was the selling and transporting of drugs. But despite that he was a crazy freak, loud, threatening every second mammal that looked at him and I still believed he took a little bit too much of his own products. And his son Phasan was not better than him, Phasan liked playing sick games with citizen, games about life and death. And it happened already too often that our and Mother Goose mammals had to clean up his mess. Chuckling talked Peacock to us, he was heavy gesticulating.

"Aaahhhh yes today are here Peacock first in command awwwwwwwwwnd Phasan second in command, satisfied Owl? Oh yeeees I almost forgot, Department of Drug Dealing and Smuggling, not that anyone could forget it, I mean we see us here for the first time…right guys."

I also like to make my jokes from time to time but I knew when I had to shut me mouth _._

With a big grin sat Peacock back on his chair, his son just idiotically smiling and staring on the table in front of him. It was a little bit funny, how Peacock was famous among normal citizen, so was Mother Goose among mobsters. Her grandma was the legendary mobster queen Elizabeth Bell, equally loving to her members and friends as she was brutal to her enemy's. Even a part of the town was named after her. Bell's kitchen, home district of the Bell' name scared even today the local gangsters. Mother Goose or better known as Minerva Bell, was the old mobster type loyal and full of honor. But I had no idea why she wanted that her granddaughter followed her bloody path… who knows, she had her plans. Most mammals here had their plans.. She started to talk in a typical female voice but you could hear that the smoking and whiskey didn't served her well over the years.

"Today attending Mother Goose as the first in command and Swan as the second in command the council. We both lead the Department of Concealment and Aftermath."

Owl made a little note on his tablet and went on.

"Good and enough with the formalities, I don't want to beat about the bush. We are here to discuss the problem with Mr. Big…"

Peacock shouts into the round, he didn't like Big and everyone knew that. They worked together in the past and it didn't ended well for both, so much I knew.

"Again!? Can we not finally take him down or drown him in the fucking river? Why are we taking so much time for this last remaining mobster?"

It was not Owl who answered, it was King beside me. Calm he answered the hyenas question without losing his temper.

"Because this is not the way we do things. We work in the shadows, unnoticed by society. Did you forget that Peacock?"

"Pfff for this one time we could take a bunch of our men, storm his property and end it. This town is ours, why waste time again? Do you really believe he could do anything against us?"

Mother Goose interfered but at first she had to exhale her smoke over to Peacock, who seemed to hate those behaviour.

"Hah and the next day we have the ZPD or worse standing in front of our door? No thanks. You don't seem to understand how much work the concealment of such action is. And don't let me even start with the aftermath cleanup..."

Quail nodded with closed eyes and started to present her thoughts.

"I have to agree with Mother Goose, such a news would lead to unpredictable consequences. He is a mobster without a doubt but in the society of Zootopia also a well known citizen and patron of art and science projects. He spends every year a lot of money to arrange for example the medical ball of the four great hospitals of Zootopia. To kill somebody like him, just like that…"

Peacock gritted his teeths during the whole explanation of Quail and waited for his time to continue his thoughts. Well at least a little bit of suspense was in the council meeting…

It gets dark in the conference room, a cloud was taking it's place in front of the sun and blocking most the light with it's sheer presence. But inside the room was no one looking up what caused that change, all eyes were fixated on Peacock. Almost hissing he continued to talk.

"SO, again we will do nothing? We will wait another year in which, he walks the streets and thinks he can do whatever he likes? For WHAT do we have this power, if can't use it?"

Owl the old ibex was finally taking his position as a leader of the council on and began to speak.

"We have this power to contain the stability we created over the years. Not for some selfish revenge plots. I understand that you are out of sorts with Mr. Big but please try to understand that something like that would endanger all of us without exception...Any other ideas we should hear?"

The cracking voice of Crow was weak but still understandable.

"I-i-i agree with Mother Goose."

All eyes went to him, as if the whole crowd would expect more of him, to expect that he could solve the argument… but there was nothing more...just an meerkat looking at the empty table, waiting that the eyes went on to the next target...what a failure as a chief. I chuckled and went with my gaze on to Kite, the deer sat smiling at his table and waited for his appearance.

"I think business is developing well at the moment. Why changing something or provoking Big? I see no sense in something like that."

Most of the mammals nodded in the round but there were three exceptions Phasan who looked still like a total idiot down on the table, his father Peacock who had crossed his arms behind his head and looked up to the ceiling…. And to my big surprise Kingfisher, who sat besides me with folded paws.

"Good, I think we can go on and all agree that we will not interfere with Mr Big's business any time in the near future…"

But Owl couldn't finish his sentence. Kingfisher raised his paw to make himself noticeable for all other council members and smiling he started his argumentation to the rest of the surprised crowd.

"If any of you appreciates my humble opinion... sooner or later we will have to deal with Mr. Big anyway. We are too large and powerful to tolerate other competitors in our territory, something like this would be seen as a weakness. And weakness is something we can't afford."

The room went silent and all attendants focused their gaze completely on Kingfisher. Even Peacock and his son Phasan listened closely what the old fox had to tell them.

King took his time but continued his monologue after some seconds.

"Big stole from us, he killed members of each Department and I can assure you that he will not stop with this behaviour in the future. And don't even think about, calling those occurrences 'minor incidents'. Because such minor incidents lead to larger ones and sooner or later we are attending an open gangwar. Which is something, no one of us wants so..."

Kingfisher made another of his dramatic pauses, in which he looked around the mammals. But he didn't do this just for reasons the act needs, he checked which of the council members he still needed to convince. He couldn't sell it to all of them,

so Kingfisher took another attempt.

"...the other unreliable variable sits in our own rows and showed just moments ago his true intentions. We all know that you hate Mr. Big more than any of us Peacock. The question is how long would you endure it before you take your revenge? 3 month? 6? Maybe a year? For my personal preferences is this too vague. My proposition would be the following…. We will give Big time till one month after the Medical Ball, on which he will announce that he will move to another city and give up his life here in Zootopia. If he didn't announce his retreat on this public event, then our friend Peacock over here will get the permission to end what the two once started."

The only sound that filled the air was Mother Goose cigarette holder, which she knocked nervously on the table. She looked with sharpened eyes over to our side, her smile from an hour ago had completely vanished. And I knew her look was this time not meant for me. Peacock on the other hand was head over heels for this idea and he made no secret out of it.

"Hahaha, that you are the one out of this bunch, who would be on my side, King. Astounding. But I don't care who of you supports me, as long as I can have my revenge! I, Peacock, support the idea of Kingfisher!"

Chuckling sat Peacock back and looked in the faces of the other mammals. Quail started hectically whispering with Crane, who nodded or shook his head from time to time. Crow's hands trembled, he couldn't find an answer on his own, he needed help and looked for this around in the room. Mother Goose was finally the one who broke her silence.

"I'm against this foolishness. I know you for long enough King to understand that you plan something. And to remind everyone else in this room, he don't care about anyone of us. Sometimes I even doubt that you care about the company at all, despite the fact that you are one of the oldest members and even a founder. You would sacrifice everyone in here just to fulfil your goals, whatever those are."

With a slight smile replied Kingfisher back to Mother Goose.

"My dear, you seem to overestimate me. What else should I plan with this proposition? The only one who will active in this job will be Peacock and I think that we both don't like to listen another year to his whining, or do you?"

Mother Goose sat back with a sceptical look on her face but remained silent. The rest of the group was ready to give their opinion to the proposition. Quail started without hesitation to speak in her sweet and calm voice.

"We both are against the proposition of Kingfisher, so we have to decline it."

Smiling and with folded paws looked the little ocelot over to Kingfisher and studied his expressions. But there was no change in his face, still the same impenetrable smile since the moment he started to speak.

"I-i-i also decline the idea." said Crow shortly.

He was nervous and looked around the room. Avoiding to met Kingfisher gaze was his only aim at the moment, in the end he decided to stare at the table and remained silent. Kite was the next one to give a decision.

"I'm honest with you guys, Hawk and I aren't very interested in this town and who kills who. As long as the numbers are correct and business is not in trouble, you can do whatever you want. So if the chief of Executions and Counter Measurements is giving us the advice to get rid of another mobster boss, then I would say let's do it. I accept and support the proposition of Kingfisher in the name of Hawk and our Department."

 _Tie - so in the end Owl has to decide what should be done._

All gazes went to Owl. The old ibex sat in his chair with closed eyes and seemed to be deep in thoughts. After another minute of waiting he opened his eyes and announced his decision.

"I trust Kingfisher more than anyone in this room, his assessments of the situations were always correct. If he believes that this will lead to success, than I'm on his side."

Mother Goose sighed loud and crossed her arms in front of her chest, her granddaughter had still the same expression on her face. Swan laid a paw on the shoulder of her grandmother but the old lynx shook just her head in disapproval.

Quail smiled with the professionalism of someone who did this work since many years to the other mammals, her boss Crane still calm and without any sign of participation.

" _That is not good, no, no, no. Not good at all." mumbled Crow to himself._

All other mammals and especially Kingfisher seemed more than okay with the decision of Owl.

"As it seems we have 4 to 3 yes votes, which means the proposition is accepted. Kingfisher and Peacock take on the preparations and completion of this task. Everyone else will be ready, if one of them needs support."

 _And again manipulated the old fox his surroundings to his likes. Not very subtle but effective._

 _The rest of the meeting was very standard, a lot of numbers, some questions to the departments and some more raised paws to make decisions. The whole thing was very easy, an odd number of mammals and you had to say yes or no - always and without exception. So in the end we always had an decision, if you like it or not._

 _And some mammals still seem to dislike the decision about Mr. Big but all knew there was no complaining, once decided the plan had to be executed, no matter what._

The council ended after 2 hours of more bureaucratic work and all groups raised to leave the meeting room. We walked back to the elevator we used before but didn't talked to each other. Most of the others left to their elevators but not Owl, he remained and sorted some papers. I never saw him coming or going. Like before Kingfisher pressed the button for the third floor underneath the surface. A long ride down with him was waiting for me.

 _I know I shouldn't ask but… I need to know it…_

"You are planing something, right boss?"

"What makes you think that?" replied King.

"You play safe, always. Such a proposition is not your way of doing something. And what astounds me even more, the city is stable at the moment. Why would you even consider taking action against Big?"

Kingfisher didn't turned around, he stood with his back to me and chuckled silently.

"What is the most important thing I taught you over the time? The one sentence I always repeated till it stuck in your head?"

 _One day I will get the bill for my teasing behaviour…_

"Double check every time if the victim is dead?..."

Kingfisher turned around to me with a very serious gaze and I saw that he didn't liked my last sentence.

"Sorry…"

I could feel how fear was building up in me and that just from his gaze. His smile was unpleasant and I felt how a cold shiver was running down my spine.

"Stagnation is our greatest enemy and this city is for several years sleeping like a little child that has nothing to fear. It is time to wake it up and show it the harsh reality."

His words echoed through my head but I didn't understand what he meant, I knew just one thing and that was that I didn't liked it. Still smiling he turned away from me and remained facing the door.

One minute later the door opened and he left without saying farewell. My eyes followed him until he was out of sight. I pushed the button to the floor below me and tried to concentrate on my upcoming task but his words were still in my mind.

" _It is time to wake it up and show it the harsh reality."_

Such sentences meant never something good from him and for the first time in my life I was afraid of the things to come. I stepped out and walked back to Bill, I had to finish my work.

* * *

Hey guys chapter is 17 out and I'm working hard on chapter 18, which will be a big Christmas chapter (maybe up to 30K words). For this chapter I have a little poll on my profile about the level of smut in the upcoming chapter. I would really like if you take part in the poll or write me your personal opinion.

Chapter 18 - Burn the mistletoes


	18. Train Ride and Exotic Birds

**18\. Burn The Mistletoes - Part I**

"I told you these were shadows of the things that have been," said the Ghost. "That they are what they are, do not blame me!" Ghost of Christmas Past - A Christmas Carol

 **Emilia**

The marble hall of the Zootopia Central Station was beautiful decorated in all the colors it needed for the upcoming festivities, red, white, green and just the right amount of gold. The whole city and not just Tundra Town was covered under a fine white blanket of snow, just Sahara Square tried to avoid the white and looked sandy as always. Christmas trees were now standing all over the inner city, decorated with glitter balls, light chains and all the other things that mammals could put on the trees to made it look even more adorable and festive. To all the eye candy joined the sound of different Christmas songs, which echoed over the wide place with it's hundred of mammals still searching for the right presents or some special offerings.

Emilia Wilde was standing besides a column in front of the train station, waiting for her daughter and daughter in law to arrive for their train to Woodbury. She wore a tightly fitting skirt in grey, that ended over her knees, together with a blue blouse that had big bow on the chest, her long blue coat finished her outfit and like always she had her typical Wilde smile on her muzzle. The cold wind was blowing fierce but her facial expression didn't changed, not even for a second. Beside her stood a normal sized suitcase and in her left paw was a small wooden casket which contained her valuable kitchen knives, which she used in her daily job, but took them with her wherever she needed them.

Her yellow eyes inspected closely the coming and going trams and with them the mammals that left the vehicles. Her daughter had told her that she would recognize the bunny and the vixen even in a crowd of a million mammals but she wasn't so sure anymore.

A lot of mammals were on the move on this morning of the 24th December but till now no bunny or vixen could be seen. Right in the moment where Emilia started to move her paw slowly to the pocket of her coat, where her phone was waiting, she saw that another tram with a huge crowd of mammals arrived and decided to wait and look, if this is the right one. For a short moment Emilia believed that some grey ears together with some red ones pointed out of the masses.

The more she tried to concentrate on specific mammals, the more Emilia lost her focus. A vibration in her pocket pulled her out of her search. The quick look on her phone gave her a hint from her daughter.

"Watch out for the maidens in white and red,

their ears are up and their caps are red."

me -\\(#^-^#)/ /(#°~°#)\ - Judy

Chuckling turned Emilia back to the crowd in front of her and not even 2 minutes passed until she saw her daughter walking to her with a big grin on her face and a blushed bunny beside her. The message Patricia sent was not so far from the truth, Judy looked a little bit uneasy in her dress. Without hesitation took Emilia the two in a deep hug as soon as they stood in front of her.

"Judy my dear, what's with the red face? You look more than adorable in your dress, no need to be embarrassed." said Emilia in a soothing tone.

She could see the puffed up cheeks of her daughter behind Judy but didn't respond to her immediately.

"It's okay, I'm just not used to dress in something so fancy and...showy. That's more Patty's style," answered Judy with a little smile.

"...and don't worry Patricia you look also adorable in your dress," said Emilia to her daughter.

A bright smile appeared on Patricia's muzzle, followed by a little curtsey from her, "You are just to grateful with your words old lady."

And they really looked adorable. Both wore a red velvet dress where all the edges of the dress were framed by a fluffy white fabric. The skirt parted on their left hip and revealed another red velvet underskirt, that almost covered up to their feets. Another red velvet part with white edges laid over their shoulders and parted like the skirt right over the chest and showed a bit of the underlying red body part of the dress. Patricia even seemed to pressured Judy into wearing a Christmas cap.

"Okay girls, the train is soon arriving and Patricia I want finally to meet your girlfriend, the one short view on her in the restaurant months ago didn't told me everything about her. Even Heishiro talked already longer with her than me and I'm your mother." said Emilia with a smile on her face and a raised finger of her right paw.

"Don't worry mum, you will like Snowflake. I promise. And besides that uncle Heishi already gave his approval," answered Patricia with a blink.

"So did he? Well, he will have his reasons, right? And Snowflake, really? Are you going with her already so far to give her nicknames?" said Emilia to her daughter, still smiling.

"Oh mom, you have no idea how far we already go…auuuh Judy! What was that for?" answered Patricia and looked at the now even more blushed Judy, who punched Patricia lightly in her left side. Emilia just started to laugh about the little poke from the bunny.

"You two are just too adorable. But Judy why so grumpy? I mean from time to time a little nudge for Patricia...shouldn't be too bad...but…." answered Emilia.

"Hey? On which side are you? Is the aging already so far that you forgot who your daughter is? Little help from me, it is the one who looks like a fox…," answered Patricia slightly upset but still with a lot of sarcasm in her voice..

Judy stood between the two and was holding her head up by one of her paws. But despite the discussion which was happening in front of her, she smiled lightly up to the two vixen and said, "I'm sorry, Patty told me a joke in the tram and it got me on the wrong foot. And she also told it so loud that the whole crowd was listening to it...so I got a bit... embarrassed."

The answer worked not as expected and Emilia was now more than interested and asked, "Oh a joke? Which one?"

Emilia looked with big eyes at Judy and waited that she began telling the joke.

"Oh...it's...ehm...it…," stuttered Judy as an answer but Patricia knew there will be no answer, so she stand in for her friend, shaking her head a last time about the prudish behaviour of the bunny and started to tell the joke.

"Okay Mom listen, what is the difference between a golf ball and the g-spot?"

No expression was left on Emilia's face and Judy's ears and cheeks matched now perfectly the main color of her dress. But Patricia continued without second thoughts or to watch out for Judy's reaction.

"A guy would actually search for a golf ball."

At first remained just silence between the three. Emilia tried to keep her laughter down but couldn't do it. A hearty laugh could be heard, echoing over the plaza. Some mammals turned around, some even shook their heads but like her daughter there was no sign of embarrassment. She wiped some tears out of her eyes and spoke to Patricia.

"Ah… not bad, a little bit old but who cares as long as it works. So but now is my turn, do you want to hear a joke from the older generation?"

"Okay, go ahead mum. Show me the jokes of the elders." answered Patricia. Judy switched with widened eyes between Emilia and Patricia, both standing like teenagers together and telling each other some dirty jokes. She said in huge disbelieve to the two,"You both try to kidding me, right?"

"Don't worry Judy you can try to compete with us in a minute, so…" answered Emilia to Judy with a smile but turned to her daughter and continued right away.

"How is sex like a game of bridge?"

Patricia grinned like a teenager back at her mother and asked, "I don't know, tell me Mom?"

"If you have a good paw, you don't need a partner…," answered Emilia with a dirty smile and made her daughter instantly laugh. Judy sighed over the behaviour of the two, turned slightly annoyed around and walked with her suitcase and a still red head into the station.

"One day, I will go crazy because you two…," are the last words the two vixen could hear from Judy.

"What happened?" asked Emilia to her daughter. But Patricia just shook her head and exhaled deeply..

With a confused face and some meter in distance followed the two vixen Judy. Still confused tried Emilia to understand what happened just seconds ago and asked her daughter quietly.

"Did we do something wrong Patricia? I didn't wanted to upset her," smiling shook her daughter her head and answered in a similar quiet voice.

"Don't worry mom, Judy is still not used to the typical 'Wilde behaviour'. Give me and Nick two more years and she will laugh with us about something like that." with a thoughtful smile she continued the conversation to her mother, "You have to know, viewed from a certain angle, our Judy is the ultimate Cliche. You know the strong willed, good hearted, prudish girl from the countryside, that tries everything to make the world a better place? Well that's her...and I hope strongly that this will never change...well despite laughing about some dirty jokes with us of course," with her last words poked Patricia her mother slightly in the side with her elbow and both chuckled slightly.

Judy was still leading the little group of mammals to the train, passing shops and other booths that sell sweets and other things for Christmas. Patricia and Emilia followed some meters behind her and thought they were out of Judy's hearing range. Emilia looked still with an amazed gaze at the dress of Judy and turned her head a little bit to her daughter.

"I have to say, you two choose great dresses, I bet Nicholas will like to see Judy in this one every year now," said Emilia with a light smile.

Grinning to her mother Patricia replied. "Oh believe me, he will like even more what she wears underneath the dress." and ended her sentence with a blink of her left eye to her mother. Emilia chuckled about the new information and replied ", So a private present to unpack before the actual gift-giving? Oh I'm sure he like it…"

Without turning around started Judy to speak to the vixen. Her ears and cheeks now back to their normal color. She spoke calm but still a little bit annoyed, "You both know that my ears are not just for decoration right? So please Patty, stop talking about my until now intact love life or I will die of embarrassment before we even reach Bunny Burrow. There you can talk with my sister Jessica the whole day about such things. And thank you, but what I wear underneath my dress should be a surprise just for Nick, okay?"

Patricia's ears dropped a bit and she made her typical pout but still didn't want to give in. Stubborn she exclaimed to her bunny friend.

"Oh come on Judy, we are under us girls here, I bet that Mom will tell no one about your little 'present'," replied Patricia, her mother nodded strongly to support her daughter.

Judy reached the door to the train and turned with a slightly annoyed gaze to Patricia, "I didn't meant Emilia with that, but you blabbermouth!"

"How did you called me bunny?" asked Patricia in an aggressive tone and walked up to Judy.

"Blabbermouth and I can repeat it for you as often as you wish!" replied Judy in an also aggressive tone. Both girls stood still and starred deep and fearless into the other's eyes, their mouths just inches away from each other.

In ancient times both mammals would have been ready to fight but this wasn't ancient times. They were now in the modern times and modern times needed modern solutions.

Emilia was still more than amused about the adorable view the two friends showed, not for a moment could she take their dispute seriously. She gave both girls a push on the back, so that both lost their balance and she said with a chuckle to them, "Give each other a kiss, end this little dispute and on to our seats in the train, alright girls?"

Both of them tip over and could just hold on to each other's paws in the last moment. The little gap between their muzzles was now closed and both, even the otherwise so exuberant Patricia starred with widened eyes and embarrassment at Judy.

All that the mammals around them saw was a bunny and vixen kissing each other and holding onto each other's paws. A more than adorable view, if you didn't know the background. Emilia stood still behind them and giggled like a schoolgirl.

But as fast as the fall came and the resulting kiss happened, the two of them separated again just as quickly. But they shouldn't find time to discuss the latest event because of Emilia who pushed them smiling through the doors of the train and navigated them to their places.

But she also couldn't hold back her gloating and said, "Well girls, at least it stays in the family."

Both Judy and Patricia looked with widened eyes at each other but remained silent for their walk to a fitting compartment.

Two cases under the seat and the third, plus her casket with the knives besides Emilia and the luggage was stowed away.

All three sat in a small compartment with four seats. Judy on the window, Patricia besides her and Emilia on the other side with the luggage.

Attentive watched Emilia over to Judy and Patricia, both sat now for 10 minutes beside each other without talking or any other form of communication. Judy had her head on her left paw and looked bored and a bit grumpy outside the window. Patricia on the other hand became more and more nervous about the current situation, the intervals in which she peaked over to her bunny friend became shorter and shorter. Emilia knew that Patricia hated any kind of dispute and that the current situation was some kind of torture for her and knew her daughter would rather try to avoid it.

Finally the train started slowly to move and Patricia couldn't hold it in any longer, "Okay, okay Judy! I admit it, it was my fault. I shouldn't have talked about your present for Nick but please, please talk to me. I can't stand such a situation where you ignore me...so please little bunny talk to Patty. Talk to her…"

Her paws were folded and she looked with an excusing gaze to Judy. Patricia hoped that the little bunny would turn around and fall into her arms, giving her a tight hug and everything would be back to normal. But Judy took her time.

"Judy… please… I didn't thought about my words...I don't want to argue with you, especially not today…," said Patricia with a sad tone in her voice. Her folded paws laid long on Judy's armrest and her head was slowly following. She closed her eyes and waited for something to happen.

After a minute of wait, two little bunny paws adjusted the Christmas cap of Patricia. After finishing her work, one of the paws laid carefully on top of Patricia's snout and Judy waited to speak to her, until Patricia finally opened her eyes. Judy smiled bright in the face of her friend, no sign of anger or mistrust in her voice or gaze.

"You dumb vixen, as if I could be angry of you for long," Patricia smiled slightly and looked up to her friend. Judy continued to stroke softly with her paw over Patricia snout, "You are maybe a blabbermouth but at least you are our blabbermouth Patricia Wilde. And hey, at least I can tell now, that I officially kissed every sibling in the Wilde family. Believe me in my family would that be a lot of work, ask Nick, he tried."

"He did what?" asked Patricia with widened eyes.

"Well… yeah, okay it was just a good night kiss and my smaller siblings demanded it, but still he tried," answered Judy and reminiscent some not so old memories with an happy face.

"Maybe you two should give each other another kiss, for the lovely reunion, " asked Emilia with a dirty grin from the other side.

Judy's inner ears turn slowly red again but to her luck is Patricia here to answer for her, now back to her old confidence and quick-wittedness.

"I think one kiss from me is all this bunny can take for one day and by the way mom, I also want that something is left for Nick when we arrive in Woodbury," answered Patricia.

All three sat back and watched for some time the passing landscape. Everywhere you could see the beautiful white of the winter, just some inches thick but enough to spread a feeling of calm and contemplation. Patricia licked over her lips, she seemed to remember something and turned to Judy.

"By the way Judy, now that I remember it, you tasted like orange. Did you changed your typical lipstick?", asked Patricia with questioning look on her face.

Still a little bit embarrassed, scratched Judy her neck but answered, "Yeah… you know Nick doesn't liked the carrot taste so much and… I thought I could change it to… I don't know something he likes more. And...and …it is also not good to just use the same thing over and over again."

Patricia smiled for a short moment to Judy and laid her handbag, which looked like the miniature version of the Sack Santa uses for the presents, on her lap. She started to search for something and after some seconds she holds a little sealed purple lipstick in her paw and hand it over to Judy.

"It's tastes like blueberries and I think Nick will like it even a little bit more, than orange or carrot, I mean the addiction for this blue stuff runs in the whole family, right?" said Patricia with a smile to Judy.

Judy took it into her paw but didn't know what to do, "Patty, I can't take it, it's yours…," answered Judy but Patricia was just rolling her eyes over the comment and replied back at the doe, "Oh come on, it's just a lipstick, I don't gave you one of my kidneys, okay? See it as an... early Christmas present or...an apology for my stupid behaviour. Okay sis?"

"Okay...Thanks Patty," answered the bunny.

Judy nodded with a smile to Patricia and put it into on of her pockets. A look out of the window told her that they would soon arrive in Woodbury.

"Say Judy, is the bunny who made the beautiful flowers also in the burrow over Christmas?" asked Emilia.

"Cathy? Yes she lives there, together with my brother Jimmy. Do you have some commissions for her? That would be great and would definitely boost their morale a little bit, " asked Judy back with some surprise in her voice.

"Some?" asked Emilia and a devilish smile started to spread over her face, she turned to her case and after some seconds she got a huge folder with a lot of papers out of it.

"Nicholas told me about them and their… mhmm difficult 'past', so we decided to help them a little bit. 258 orders, with invoice and accounting, ready to be delivered. But please, see for yourself my dear." said Emilia and handed the folder over to Judy. The mouth of the bunny was wide open and she couldn't believe what she saw.

Patricia watched over all the orders and looked surprisingly sad.

"I hope there will be one left for my balcony…I told it Nick so many times, bring me on of those beautiful flowers…but no...," said Patricia with her typical pout.

"Don't worry vixen, I think the last time I was in the green house, I saw a little plant with your name on it. So just be a little more patient, okay Patty?" said Judy to the young vixen, who started instantly to smile. Judy started to skip through the orders, 5 plants, 2, 20, 32, 40 the numbers changed but the price per plant confused her a little bit. After the 21st order she turned to Emilia and asked her, "But Emilia… the price isn't right Cathy wanted to sell one plant for 250$ , not 500$... isn't that too much?"

"Price and request my dear or where do you think has Nicholas his talent for making deals? Some wanted to pay even more and believe me this is just the minimum I could do. So I dealt with them and in the end I thought I made a good bargain, by selling them for the doubled price, don't you think?" answered Emilia still with the devilish grin on her face.

"O-okay, so all this mammals pay later?" asked the confused Judy to Emilia.

"Oh my darling, you never had anything to do with business, right? That is nothing bad, it keeps the heart light and the mind clear. Look, on the last page of the folder is a sealed envelope with all the information to a bank account for the First Bank of Zootopia. It contains all the money of the orders. No high interest rates but also no risk in losing anything,"

answered Emilia still grinning.

Judy was still perplexed about all the new information and still had to ask about this, Patty who looked bored over to the folder started in the meantime to eat some Candy's from her bag, it started to smell in the whole compartment like vanilla and cinnamon.

"But who did this?" asked the little doe.

"Nicholas made the accounting and opened the bank account, he said he knew somebody in there - of course. I just collected everything, dealt the price out and put it in this nice looking folder. He doesn't believe in bank accounts for his own money but he knows the importance for normal business. Oh and don't worry, this time he even made a little tax calculation." answered Emilia with blink over to Judy.

"He...did all of this?" asked Judy still confused.

"Yes he did. He said to me that this is important, this is not just for a friend, this is for the family...I just had to promise him one thing, to declare this as my work. Nicholas likes to stay sometimes in the center of attention but he don't like that somebody praises him. I don't know why, that is a secret even I couldn't solve, but maybe a little bunny detective I know is able to do that." continued Emilia.

"How many did they have now?" asked Judy the old vixen.

"Just Nicholas and the letter in the envelope can tell exactly. But he said the last time to me that it would be more than enough for the debt, two nice rings and a wedding in the summer…,"answered Emilia.

Tears started to come from Judy's eyes and slightly teary but more than thankful she looked to the two smiling vixen.

"Oh Judy no tears, isn't that good news?" asked Patricia and put another piece of candy in her mouth, that smelled like vanilla and orange.

"I'm just happy for them, after the miscarriage, the debt, Cathy's long stand in the hospital and all the other bad luck they had and the hard work they put onto this project...I-I'm just happy. Thank you Emilia." replied the teary Judy with a smile. Emilia handed a handkerchief over to Judy, who took it with thankful nod.

"Na, na, nothing to thank me. Here wipe those tears away and make a happy face for your fox. I'm just more than excited to give this folder to its rightful owner, Nicholas said there is even the possibility that the little bunny could faint. So Patricia stay ready, okay?" said Emilia with a smile to her daughter which started to smile over her whole face, "A Fainted bunny? Count me in."

"I must say, I already can't wait to see their faces." said Judy and stood up from her seat, putting the folder back into Emilia's case.

All three gathered their belongings and walked to the next door. There were not many mammals traveling today, most of them seemed to stay in Zootopia or in its surrounding area. With screeching brakes stopped the train in the small train station of Woodbury and released the small crowd of mammals into the cold winter morning.

Judy needed not long to spot her fox, who stood together with Elliot, Nathan, Stella and to her regret Trevor on the other side of the platform. She smiled over to Nick, who saw of course his bunny. His face lighten up in the second he saw her in the Christmas dress but both knew they had to keep it down because of the hare. Judy almost didn't cared the moment she saw him, she simply couldn't take her eyes of him and he couldn't take his eyes of her.

The last week was hard for Judy, she had to stay in Zootopia because of the Christmas time and with that the higher amount of thieves and criminals that lurked around the malls and shops of the inner city. Bogo gave her the task to control the streets and watch out for the mentioned criminals. The luck was with her and she could catch some of them in this time but mostly it was boring stuff, some arguments between mammals or controlling the traffic when a car accident happened but all in all it was quiet and she yearned for her fox. She wanted to spend time with him but, it was simply not possible.

Patricia joined her on two of her walks through the inner city and gave her at least a little bit of the typical Wild feeling but it was not the same. As much as the both siblings resemble each other Nick was, believe it or not, much more mature and Patricia was still … well Patricia.

Judy walked up to Nick but kept the presence of Trevor in mind, she stood before him and made a little courtesy, where she even slightly lifted both sides of her dress with her paws.

Nick replied to this like he ever did, he bowed down took carefully Judy's right paw into his and gave her little kiss on the back. Smiling he stood up and looked down to her.

Her eyes met and Judy beamed with all her happiness and love up to him but instead of kissing him, she bite her lip to control herself and said, "Hey Mr. Wilde. Long time not seen, I hope you had a good week?"

Nick grinned his typical smile back at her and replied in his most charismatic tone. "It was okay carrots but I think it keeps getting better from here on, I mean you are, so what could go wrong? You...you look beautiful in that dress Judy."

"Thank you, I hoped that you like it," answered Judy and blushed a little bit. Both would have stand longer in front of each other and looked in the others eyes but unfortunately broke Patricia the emotional reunion.

"SNOWFLAKE!" shouted Patricia with a big grin, ran past her brother and directly into the arms of Stella. The perplexed white vixen tried to gather herself and to respond to the hug but was to slow for her significant other. Stella still had just light close to wear, a jeans, a shirt and a light jacket, that was all she needed.

"Hey… Patty, how…" Stella's words got stuck in her throat in the truest sense of the words because Patricia already ended the hug and went on to a long and deep kiss, by grasping the cheeks of the taller vixen and pulling her into her reach. Nathan and Elliot chuckled about the odd but well known behaviour of Patricia and smiled about the sudden kiss. Elliot wore a long coat for beaver standards and Nathan an old but still good looking grey coat. The only one who looked with a disapproval gaze at the scenery was Trevor, he seemed to dislike what he saw.

But also his behaviour wasn't unnoticed, Emilia wandered with her gaze over the little group and saw what she needed to know about the six friends and the hare.

Patricia parted from the still dazzled arctic vixen and went on to Elliot and Nathan, who greeted her with a smile, "So and what are my favorite two dipsticks chuckling about?" asked Patricia with a lot of sarcasm in her voice.

"Oh don't mind us Patty, we were just betting and I won...Nick you owe me 5$!" said Elliot smiling to Nick, who still couldn't take his eyes of Judy but handed a 5 dollar note over to the beaver. Elliot continued talking to Nathan, "And you my friend will take of course my luggage right?".

Nathan rolled with his eyes and accepted his defeat, "Fine I will take your case...stupid bet… I knew that I lose when I do something like that. I never win..."

With played concern in her voice said Patricia,"I don't know if I should feel flattered or betrayed from such behaviour…but anyhow come here my little dimwits."

And with little efforts drew Patricia the wolf and the beaver into a hug, both not surprised from the gesture but the strength of the vixen, "Arghh Patty one day you will break my neck with such hugs…," said Elliot with pain in his voice and Nathan added to his friend, "...one day? I think she did it this time…".

"You two are such big sissies," answered Patricia and chuckled over Nathan's and Elliot's behaviour. With a slightly tilted head she looked over to Trevor who was still very reserved about Patricia.

But without concern or prejudice went the young vixen to the hare with a stretched out paw and said, "Patricia Wilde nice to meet you... and what is your name?"

"Trevor Smith," responded the white hare but didn't even moved an muscle of his crossed arms, he just stood there and glared at Patricia. His cloth were not cheap and he seemed to keep them in good condition.

But her mood couldn't be better after rejoining with her partner, so Patricia ruffled the fur on the head of the hare and said.

"Don't worry Trevor, I think we will become comfortable with each other."

With anger in his eyes pushed Trevor Patricia's paw from his head and corrected his fur, the only thing he replied was a short, "We will see…".

Stella who was now back to her normal self asked to Patricia with a still confused face.

"Say Patty, why do you taste like orange? I thought you hated those lipstick things, besides the ones which taste like blueberries."

Patricia and Judy who were just moments ago deepened in other things, where now reminded of the incident in front of the train in Zootopia and both looked at each other and searched for an answer. Emilia who still stand back, began to chuckle about the behaviour of the two.

"Well...Ehm...good question...I have...eaten some Candy's which tasted like orange. Yes, that's the reason and nothing else. Right Judy?" stuttered Patricia to her girlfriend and Stella seemed to accept the answer.

Knowing both girls long enough, Nick still seemed to think that something was odd about their behaviour and bowed again down to Judy. He smelled her face and Judy tried as good as she could to pull back and keep a calm face but she knew this was meaningless, Nick would smell it.

"So Carrots and why do you also smell like orange?" asked Nick with as suspicious face.

"Well...yes… because...Patty shared her sweets with me...and…," answered the now more than nervous doe.

Nick grinned down at the bunny and said almost singing to Judy, "You are lying Carrots, Patty never shares sweets, not even with you or Stella."

"Mmh...I…," but Judy couldn't end her sentence because of Emilia, who came to help her and end this little interrogation. She lied her paws on Judy's shoulder and said to her son.

"Believe me Nicholas, there are things in the world, that even you don't need to know," smiling went Emilia on and gave her son her quick but eloquent hug. Nick knew that it would make no sense to asked for more, his Mom had ended the talk and so he replied, "Hey Mom, I hope you had a good day."

"Oh, just the best my son, drama, love, tears we had it all." replied the older vixen with a blink and went on to Nathan and Elliot and left a confused Nick in front of Judy.

"Do you know what she means Carrot?" asked Nick his bunny but Judy replied with a shrug of her shoulders and a played but confused look on her face.

Emilia went on with the greetings and stood now in front of the wolf and the beaver, "So and you two must be Nathan and Elliot, right?" asked Emilia the two, both replied with a short ,"Yes ma'am." and waited for a response. Emilia chuckled over the formalities and decided to be a little bit more direct.

"I like your eyes Nathan, I bet the girls like this about you and you Elliot since when want beaver to be police officers?"

Nathan didn't know what to answer but Elliot replied grinning to Emilia.

"Me? A police officer? No, no, no this task is for the other crazy mammals around me. I stay where it is nice, save and where a coffee is never more than 20 steps away."

Laughing replied Emilia to Elliot, "I like you Elliot, finally someone who knows what's important!"

Chuckling went the older vixen on to Stella who felt visibly uneasy to stand here and now in front of the mother of her girlfriend. If you watched her closely you could see that Stella was a little bit trembling, the others maybe didn't see that but Emilia did and so she asked.

"So and you must be the vixen who sleeps with my daughter, correct?" All eyes went instantly to Stella but she couldn't answer, lamed by fear she stood with widened eyes in front of the older vixen. From behind Emilia came half loud Patricia's voice.

"Oh God, Mom. Was that really necessary?"

Still paralyzed with fear stood Stella in front of Emilia and she seemingly wished herself far, far away. With laughter and a hug for the arctic vixen ended Emilia finally her little play and said.

"Don't worry Stella, that was just a joke, okay? No need to be worried... But I hope you two have sex, I mean that is important for a healthy relationship?"

Stella was now even more confused by Emilia and still didn't know how to respond. Patricia finally ends the tragic first meeting and clasped to Stella's left arm. Smiling she responded to her mother, "Okay, first thing Mom, yes we have sex and second, this is none of your business."

"Of course Patricia, how could I think of something like that? Oh and Stella don't worry we two will for sure find some time to talk." replied Emilia to her daughter and Stella, who swallowed heavy as she heard the last sentence.

"So and the last one in the row." with those words turned Emilia herself to Trevor. Right then stopped behind them the train to Bunny Burrow. The wind and the loud nose that came with the train, let most of the little group wince but not Emilia. She stood there like a smiling statue, her eyes completely fixated on the hare.

"Nicholas please go on and search a nice compartment for us. I want a short talk with Mr Smith over here." said Emilia to Nick without looking in his direction.

"Okay Mom, but keep it short," said Nick and lead the other to their places. Judy looked a last time back and wanted to say something to her but Nick grabbed her softly by her arm shaked his head. Without resistance followed Judy her fox.

Emilia took her time to start the one sided and short conversation with Trevor, who was very silent.

"I saw how you looked at Patricia and Stella, don't even try to defend your behaviour. I know the likes of you. You are just like my husband full of prejudices but silent, because you know what would happen if you talk out loud what you think. So I give you a good advice, if you have nothing good to say, keep it for yourself."

Emilia wanted to turn around and join the rest of the group but rethought her choice and said some last words to Trevor.

"And before I forget it, beware coming to close to Judy. She is like a daughter to me and if you ever hurt her or anyone else of this group you will get serious problems with me. Do you understand what I said Mr. Smith?"

Trevor nodded and looked at the smiling older vixen. He was calm and knew better not to talk back at the moment.

"Good, keep it in your mind."

Emilia turned around and followed the others to the train. She couldn't see the deadly look in the face of Trevor. Not long and the hare also followed the rest of the group.

To their luck found Nick a compartment for 8 mammals. On the one side sat from window to the door Judy, Nick with his guitar, Patricia and Stella. On the other side sat Emilia, Nathan, Elliot and Trevor who still looked displeased over to Patricia, who was by now snuggling with Stella. It was a lively atmosphere where most of the mammals talked with each other but with two exception, namely Trevor and Stella. The arctic vixen still seemed to feel uneasy in the presence of Emilia. Not to knowing how she should react to Emilia or what she could do at all to not attract negative attention, she kept looking on the corridor and watched mammals passing the door of their compartment. Of course felt Patricia, who had her head lying on Stella's shoulder, the tension of her partner and whispered calmly to her.

" _Hey snowflake, I know you are confused but don't worry, Mom just wanted to make a joke nothing more. She likes you and if not she would get a problem with me."_

Patricia massaged slowly with her right paw Stella's neck, not even a minute and the arctic vixen relaxed visibly. Calm she responded to her partner.

" _Thanks Patty. I try to keep calm."_

" _That's my vixen."_ replied Patricia with a smile and gave Stella a small kiss on the cheek.

Emilia cleared her throat and smiling she said to Patricia, "I really hope that this Christmas gets a little bit more lively than the last, right Patricia?"

"Oh yeah...I don't want to witness another Christmas with Mom and how she sits in front of the fireplace with Antonio, drinking one glass of wine after the other until both of you fell asleep on the couch, uncle Heishi telling old stories about his home country and Vicky, Bo and Lawrence argue about the fact who made the best dish for dinner. By the way, what are they doing this Christmas? I really hope the restaurant is still standing when we return." replied Patricia sarcastic while searching for the sweets in her bag. It took her quite a while to find the little plastic bag with Christmas candy in the chaos of her handbag. "There you are, you little devil…," said Patricia smiling but mostly to herself.

"I gave Vicky this year the commando, in case of failing is taking Heishiro the lead." replied Emilia to her daughter. The red ears of the young vixen straighten up quickly and she looked with a dazzled gaze to her mother.

"What? Vicky? Why?" replied Patricia, almost losing one piece of candy from her mouth but could catch it in the last second.

"Because she wanted to and why not? She needs to learn it too." answered Emilia with a smile but like always tried Patricia to respond as sarcastic as possible, "Yeah...sure. Why not? Every time I need somebody to hold my scalpels at work, I ask at first the kids in the pediatric care for help...".

With a judging look answered the older vixen her daughter. But Patricia added with a deep exhale some last words, "Jeez Mom, you get old... and soft."

All other followed until now with interest the discussion between the daughter and her mother but turned now their interest back to the passing landscape outside the window.

Emilia however looked now with interest over to her son and noticed that he had laid his coat between himself and Judy. One paw of Judy and one of Nick was disappearing under the blue winter mantle and it was clear for her that both held on to each other. She had seen many couples in her life but none them wanted and needed each other as much as these two. Smiling looked Emilia in Nick's eyes and pointed with them on the coat, Nick replied with a little nod and turned himself smiling to Judy and said half loud, "Are you sure, you know what you're getting into Carrots? You know that was just the beginning of the Christmas holidays."

Smiling replied the grey doe to her fox with a loving tone. "Don't worry, I heard the son is supposed to be a hell of an idiot, but I know him now for quite a while and have to say we're getting along just fine. So I have no worries about the rest of the family and by the way you don't even know what happened this morning…," Judy recognized her mistake and tried fast to lead over to another topic ,"...but... but tell me Nick what did you do on Christmas till now?"

Emilia watched now carefully at her son and smiled thankfully over to Judy, all attention drifted now slowly to the fox. Everyone knew what for a good storyteller he was. Nick seemed to be a bit embarrassed about the question, but after a short pause of reflection he started to talk.

"Hah it's not one of my proudest stories. Actually all I did in this time was staying at a bar with some other idiots who had nobody, which was in my case not even true. I just couldn't come home no matter how much I tried, you wouldn't believe me but every year at the 24th of December I stood in front of your door Mom. I mean really just meters away from you, but every time I raised my paw to knock...my courage was gone. I remembered all the things I did and the wrong things I said to you…. And who had thought that all it needs to end this was a special little bunny from the countryside?"

Smiling replied Judy to Nick, "Well, I would have, if you have told me earlier but you didn't asked. Dumb fox stays dumb fox, there's nothing you can do."

"I know, I know. But I think now is the time for someone else to share a little heartwarming or heartbreaking Christmas memory. Everything is allowed, so… what is with you Elliot how was Christmas in the richest family of Zootopia?"

Elliot crossed his arms, closed his eyes and laid his head in deep thoughts but started like Nick after a short pause,"The most of you should know that I didn't like my parents and even this is just a euphemism for hate. Anyhow one of the things I disliked the most is the fact that every Christmas we drove with a huge car to the old observatory on the single island between Rainforest District and Savannah Central, you know the last one which can only be accessed over one of three huge bridges. In this observatory which was basically a museum/concert hall/meeting point for all the rich and powerful of Zootopia was every 23rd of December a very special fundraising gala to help the poor and weak of the city. So instead of selling medicine to normal prices, they spend one or two million on this event, to feel like the good mammals that they aren't for another year. To play on this day the happy, rich and successful family and to go separated ways on the next...it was just...ridiculous. A farce nothing more. So sitting together with you guys in this compartment is more Christmas feeling than I ever had with my family."

The grim face of the beaver, lighten unexpected up, seemingly from some more pleasant memories, "But at least I had two nice Christmas holidays with Alma…," smiling turned Elliot to his right and said to Nathan.

"And now we want to hear how the poorest kid in whole Zootopia celebrated Christmas in an orphanage. Nate?"

Elliot poked Nathan with his elbow in the left side. The wolf nodded down to his friend and started to talk as if an order was given, "Mhmm yes, the funny thing is everyone thinks life in an orphanage is just miserable and sad but…", Nathan couldn't end his sentence because of Elliot, who said truly surprised, "What? Who would think something like this?".

Chuckling said the black and golden wolf to his small friend, "Elliot, you even said once to me, every orphanage has a room where they punish the children for their bad behaviour!"

A little chuckle went through the little compartment. Elliot seemed to rethink Nathan's words and said, "Oh yeah, that sounds a lot like me...go on."

Nathan shook his head but smiled over the words from the beaver.

"Anyhow, the older orphans in Sunvalley prepared every year something for the younger ones. It was like an unwritten rule. We always said 'You either leave as a happy kid or live there long enough to see yourself become Santa Claus'." said Nathan. With a laugh replied Elliot, "Wow, you were even allowed to leave the orphanage and go to the cinema?". Nathan closed for a short moment his heterochromia eyes, exhaled deeply and replied calm to the joking beaver, "Damned El, for the last time, an orphanage is no prison. Yes we had community showers and large bedrooms but we were not held against our will, there were no strange punishments and no one had to sell cookies, okay?"

Laughing went again through both rows of the compartment and even Trevor chuckled a little bit. After all mammals of the little group calm down a bit and just the monoton tok-tok of the train was to hear, continued Nathan with his story, "I remember especially one year, where we celebrated an Easter Christmas. In contrast to El's explanations, had we a lot of freedom and we older ones used the 50 dollars, that every kid got from the orphanage to buy some gifts and… well we hide them and the little ones searched the whole Christmas morning for them. You can't imagine how much fun they had." with a satisfied face leaned Nathan back and looked up to the ceiling, as if he tried to remember some old memories, "Mhmm, it was not everything bad in the orphanage."

Before even a little sign of calm could settle in the little compartment, continued Emilia to ask for further memories. Her gaze wandered over the row in front of her and stopped finally by the arctic vixen with a calm and charismatic voice asked Emilia," Stella my dear, how was Christmas in the north? Some happy celebrations with your family, Mom or Dad?"

Patricia could feel how the tension was coming back to her girlfriend. Patricia's paw which was by now still in the neck of Stella, couldn't massage anymore, all muscles were tense. With a worried gaze looked Patricia up to Stella who tried to think about something from her past that wasn't so dark but it wasn't so easy.

Just Patricia knew the whole truth and she had told nobody about anything because she knew this was their secret and theirs alone. Calmly whispered Patricia to Stella, " _You don't have to answer, I can take it for you."_

But Stella smiled lightly and shook her head to Patricia. With trembling voice she started to speak, "I...mhmm I have mostly not so pleasant memories of Christmas, it was most of the time cold and with that I mean really cold, not what you call cold here in the south. Christmas meant for me mainly three things the mentioned cold, boredom and solitude. Especially after my Mum died. Father was never the guy to have great festivities with, so he drove me every year to my aunt and I celebrated there. But all in all I can tell no great stories, sorry.", Stella was trembling again and stood after a short break for reflection up from her seat, "I'm sorry, I need to go to the restrooms. I'll be back soon and no Patty, I need no help." and with that was Stella walking out of the compartment.

Patricia tried to say something and hold her vixen by the paw but this time was Stella faster. She slipped through the door and went to the right. No one spoke and everyone looked either to the ground or like Patricia to her mother. Emilia spoke with a apologizing voice to her daughter, "I'm sorry Patricia, I should have known better…," but Patricia broke her talk and answered to her, "No Mum, I should have told you, not everything but at least something...stupid, stupid vixen, tried to fix the problem alone."

Emilia stood up and went still wrapped in her blue coat to the door of the compartment, Patricia wanted to follow her but the older vixen hold her down with her paw on the shoulder. Still with a smile on the face spoke Emilia to her daughter, "Sorry Patricia, but this is problem that needs a mother and daughter talk. Don't look like that and stop being so grumpy, I'm good at this and If you don't believe me, than ask Judy, " with this words left Emilia the compartment and turned like Stella to the right. The last thing she saw was how Patricia turned slowly around to the little bunny and started with her a lively conversation.

Emilia made her way to the last wagon of the train, where she suspected Stella. Some other mammals crossed her way, a bunch of bunnies, two older hedgehog ladies and the conductor, who was an old ram and much to slow for his work.

But shortly before the end of the second last wagon, came Emilia across a little compartment with just one mammal in it. The mammal was a big and strong looking, black wolf in a black suit and a long coat, who grinned at her with a smile as if the devil in person was sitting in front of her. The legs of the wolf were crossed and his paws laid calm on his knees. His gaze made her feel uneasy, even a bit scared. It was as if he knew who she was and what she was doing here. And to be scared was something Emilia didn't liked at all and every time she felt that this feeling was coming back she was facing it head on without second thoughts or regrets. There was no door to open, so Emilia stood herself into the entrance of the little four seat compartment and waited for a reaction of the wolf, which came instantly.

"Good Morning Mrs. Wilde, I hope you had a good day until now?" Emilia's coat was slightly open and the wolf scanned her from head to toe and made no secret out of it, "Jeez, he never said how beautiful you are, even in your age."

Emilia's smile vanished and all that remained was a cold gaze for the wolf in front of her.

"Is my husband finally too old to make the dirty work on his own and decided to let his dogs off the chain?", asked Emilia and watched how the words sink into the wolf. She saw a little flinch under his eye and this was all she needed to know about him.

But the wolf kept his smile "Not at all, to be exactly he is in pretty good condition, same like you. But I have to say the longer I look at you, the more I think I should be more interested in woman of your age."

"If you want to intimidate me, try harder and if you want to imply something with your last words," Emilia's face kept calm and cold towards her opponent, she hated those games because she knew how dangerous they were. Just now she talked to someone who had killed for sure. But nevertheless, she couldn't stop now she had to go on, everything else would be a defeat. Something she couldn't accept, not from someone who worked for her husband. Emilia's heart was beating like crazy but on the surface she was as calm as a statue. No sign of fear. After some seconds began Emilia to speak to him in a sugar sweet voice with mockery in every word.

"I don't think that you are male enough, to satisfy my needs. Adrian wasn't and I'm sure a henchman of him isn't any better."

The black wolf had enough and walked up to Emilia with anger. A deep growl was coming from his throat but the vixen didn't moved an inch. She had her paws in the pockets of her coat. Her right paw was playing with the same tool, she was playing with for the last 29 years, when she was nervous. Everywhere she was going, it was going with her.

A knife, the last present of her father, for her. Back then she didn't understand why she needed something like this, a tool to kill and than also from her father on her wedding. He was a pacifist, he hated weapons but there was something he hated even more than violence and that was Adrian. 'Not to kill, my dear but to protect', was what he said to her. She didn't understand what he meant at that time, but she would.

Her father had maybe no sense for knives but still he chose a fine piece of work for her. It was made out of damast steel with the typical pattern, three and a half inches long blade, the handle was made out of cherrywood, a pocket knife with a little mechanism to let the little blade snap out of his hideout, for a faster use. The handle was shiny from the years, in which it wandered through the paws of Emilia.

She needed it till now two times, the first time was in the night where she forced Adrian to left her and the second was to protect her bleeding son. But only in one of this two situations was it really needed to shed blood. But she knew that Adrian would have that scar till his end.

"You have a pretty big mouth, Lady," said the wolf but Emilia replied instantly, "Mammals telling me this my whole life and I will certainly not going to stop now, Mr? What should I call you? You have so funny names in your little club, maybe I call you 'Sparrow', it would be fitting for you or is this name already assigned?"

For a short moment returned the smile on the face of the wolf, "You can call me Trogon, remember it well, one day you will scream it."

Trogon came even closer to Emilia, now just inches away from her, he was sniffing in the air. He tried to find at least a small trace of fear on her but she tried to stand her ground.

"I don't think so and Trogon, a much too pretty bird for the likes of you, I think I stick to 'Sparrow'."

The wolf lost finally his temper and tried to grab his gun but Emilia was faster. While Trogon's paw went to the inside of his suit, was the knife long on the throat of the wolf. Emilia trained this for a long time, over and over again until it was fast enough. Surprised from the fast movement he looked down to the vixen and the small blade in her paw. A laugh echoed through the empty train wagon.

"Hahaha what is that? An overdimensioned screwdriver or an under dimensioned butter knife?" said Trogon to the vixen with a big smile on his face, but he couldn't deterred the vixen. Slowly she explained the situation to the wolf, which he didn't seem to understand. Emilia got closer to the him and was almost whispering.

"You don't understand, right? Mhmm Adrian seems to get sloppy to chose qualified co workers. So Listen. If I had to use any other weapon, I would be in a disadvantage. But knives are what I use on a daily basis, since 25 years. And when I know one thing, than how to cut through meat or harder materials. 25 years and I prepared every day for 'him' or one of his dogs to show up and threaten me or my family. So try to pull your gun, I promise you that you have a fatal wound before you can even stretch your finger."

Emilia's eyes were now completely fixated on the ones from the wolf and she saw that he desperately tried to find a solution.

After a minute that felt so long that Emilia thought an hour must been past, Trogon moved his paw from the gun. Raised them and slowly walked a step or two back. But the vixen didn't let her guard down, not for one second. She knew it is not over, not until he was gone. Every turn he made was also a move she would made.

Trogon seemed to have enough of this game, he closed his suit and walked pass Emilia. Calmly he whispered to her on the move, "One day you will regret this, I promise," and walked down the floor, probably to a compartment in the front of the train.

Walking down the corridor he was cursing loudly so that everyone could hear him, "Stupid Woodpecker, every time I have to fix his shitty work and than happens something like this…,"

Emilia tried to wait until she heard the door to the next wagon closing, finally alone, her legs gave in and she slided down on the seat. The knife still in her right paw, she felt how the panic attack that she tried to hold back, was coming but she tried to control it. She held her paws in front of her and tried to keep them calm but it was no use, the trembling was simply too strong. As a result fell the sharp knife to the floor and was stuck upright in the wooden ground of the compartment.

Like many times in the past she pressed her trembling paws on her face, covered her eyes and breathed with heavy strokes until the panic attack was gone. The pressure on her chest disappeared slowly and for a short moment leaned Emilia herself back in the seat and closed her eyes for some seconds. Almost silent she talked to herself and tried to bring her even more down, "Suck it up girl, you knew that something like this would happen one day…you have to protect a family, don't forget that."

Slowly she stood up from her seat and looked around, she was still alone in this wagon and the knife was still stuck in the ground. A short look at her reflection in the train windows, to correct some parts of fur and she looked as if she had a talk with an old friend. Emilia bent down, grabbed the knife and walked out of the compartment. Her feet was steady again and so she walked into the last wagon, which was almost empty. Here and there sat a mammal and watched out the window but to her luck, no crazy mobster who would try to kill her. Finally at the end of the train, she saw Stella sitting in front of the huge window, holding her head up by one of her paws.

Stella had seemed to recognize her and turned around. But to Emilia's surprise looked the arctic vixen with widened eyes to her. It needed some seconds until Emilia recognized that she had still the open knife in her right paw. With a smile came Emilia closer and sat herself besides the arctic vixen, crossed her legs and closed the knife but kept playing with it in her paw. Stella was still dazzled and asked, "You... finally decided, what to do with me?"

Emilia laughed loud about Stella's joke but the arctic vixen seemed to take the question very serious.

"Don't worry, this thing is not meant for you. I had to settle a little argument with someone in the last wagon, that's all." responded Emilia but kept the blade in her paw, softer and way more calmer she said to Stella, "I have to apologize my dear, I shouldn't have asked you such questions. I, more than anyone should better know how painful memories can be. So Stella, there is no one around, you can speak open to me. No need to hold back."

Stella looked over to Emilia and got for the first time a clear picture of the older vixen. She had a lot in common with Patricia, despite the eyes. Emilia's were almost yellow and looked as if they could tell thousand different stories from her life. Patricia's had a very light green, and they always seemed to scream 'Come on, I'm ready to experience thousand adventures with you and after that a thousand more'. Stella ended her little comparison and looked down to the ground. Slowly started Stella to speak, Emilia watched her the whole time with a smile on her face, "It's just...I don't know. Patricia said we would meet today for the first time and I was worried and had false assumptions about you and...and I thought you were more like my Mum...was, more…," Stella bit her lip, she couldn't end her sentence and was embarrassed to think even something like that but Emilia knew what she wanted to say. Smiling replied the older red vixen, "... Normal?"

Stella nodded slightly but kept staring to the ground, she was too ashamed to look Emilia in the eyes. Emilia however leaned back on her seat and exhaled deeply, she looked over to Stella and tried to get a better image of the arctic vixen, she was not much older than her own daughter and both made an adorable couple, almost as if they are destined for each other.

Soothing began Emilia to speak, "I know you awaited someone...calm, serious, polite and maybe even good hearted, someone who cleans the faces of her children with a handkerchief and some saliva, someone who washes and dries everything for them and welcomes them in winter at home with a hot chocolate and some marshmallows in it. So all in all someone normal and don't worry it doesn't hurt me that you think like that Stella," Emilia watched how Stella lost her fear and shyly peeked up to her, "But the truth is, that's not me. I'm stubborn, direct, unforgiving and sometimes even offending." a smile appeared on Emilia's face and she continued, "On Patricia's birthday had Nicholas the stupid idea to eat her last piece of cake, she was so enraged that she exclaimed, 'For this brother I will shave your whole arm while you're asleep!'. He laughed and ignored it but on the next day his fur was gone... but the truth is, it was me who did this and till today he doesn't know it. Oh, how Patricia and myself laughed the next day about Nicholas, it was great...But since then, he never touched her sweets again. On my 29th birthday had both forgotten to sing a birthday song for me, I was so mad at them, that I didn't talked with both for two days...And till today, I'm so stubborn that the only one who I allow to call me by my first name, is a little grey and prudish bunny. So, you can see I'm not the best mother, maybe I'm not even a good mother but I love both of them more than anything else in the world and tried every time my best but...sometimes the best isn't good enough. Nicholas left and Patricia and I were left behind. Sometimes I wondered if he would've stayed if I told him about his father…"

After a short reflection pause continued Emilia, "But my questions wasn't all that hurt you right? You didn't wanted that Patricia followed you, so smart as I am, I would guess something bothered you about her?" asked Emilia to Stella with a devilish grin. The arctic vixen looked with incredible sad gaze to Emilia and said, "The moment you asked the question about my past, I asked myself what Patty told you about me or if she talked with you about us at all. She wouldn't be the first who denies my existence…" but Stella couldn't end her sentence, Emilia started like crazy to laugh, she even had tears in her eyes.

But Stella couldn't understand what happened, slightly annoyed she asked Emilia, "What is so funny about that?".

But the older vixen couldn't answer, still laughing she was holding her muzzle with one paw and her stomach with the other. Stella didn't liked that at all, she stood up and was ready to leave. But she didn't came far, only two steps and a strong paw was holding her up. Angry she turned around and looked into the teary but more than happy face of Emilia, who started to explain, "...Wait Stella, I'm sorry. I shouldn't laugh about this, but it is just too…"

Stella was more than furious about Emilia, with anger in her voice she asked," Too What?! Too stupid? Too possessive? Too…"

But Emilia interrupted her again, still smiling she said, "No, too adorable ,Stella."

Stella's inner ears turned instantly red and all her anger disappeared from moment to the next. Completely confused she asked, "What? I...I don't understand…"

Emilia tried to gather herself and exhaled deeply. Finally able to talk, she continued, "You my dear, are the only thing my daughter is talking about. Snowflake this, Snowflake that, the whole day. She even asked me if I could cook something especially for you on Christmas, a speciality from the north. And trust me, I saw her several times head over heels for someone but this was gone after one or two weeks. But you two… just like Nicholas and Judy, you just can't keep your paws off each other."

Stella looked again ashamed to the ground, rubbing her right paw nervously against her jeans.

"But...Patricia never talked about your past. I asked her once but she just said that you entrusted this to her and no one else and that she doesn't want to break your trust. So you don't need to worry, your secrets are safe with her."

It was now Stella's turn and she began heartly to laugh about herself and put her right paw ashamed to her face. After a minute she looked down to Emilia and said, "I really am a dumb mammal."

"Oh honey, we all are dummies, well at least from time to time. It's just important to see our mistakes and try to avoid them from that point on. So trust your vixen and everything is fine.", said Emilia.

Stella's good mood seemed to be back and she proclaimed, "Well... now even after our first and intense talk I'm not allowed to call you by your first name?" asked Stella with a smile but the reply came fast and direct, "Unfortunately no - but don't worry to receive the privileges is rather simple, you just have to save on of my children. So pretty easy right?"

To Emilia's surprise was Stella still smiling. Chuckling replied the arctic vixen, "Save them? I think that should be no problem, as often as Patty puts herself into danger."

Both vixen had to laugh about the last sentence. Emilia could see that Stella still had a question to ask and said, "Let it out Stella, I can see that you still got something else in your mind."

"Yes...ehm the knife, do we talk about it or…", asked Stella carefully but Emilia replied, "Not now my dear, that is a story for another day. For now, it is time for Christmas and if I'm correct, we will reach Bunny Burrow in the next minutes. So let's get back to the rest of the group. I guess Patricia will gonna miss you a lot until now." Still questioning herself replied Stella, "I hope she does...auhhh."

Which earned her a little nudge on the back of her head from Emilia. Smiling she said, "Wrong question my dear."

Both went straight back to their compartment, Stella in lead and Emilia behind her. The arctic vixen couldn't see that Emilia checked every compartment and the mammals inside of them, like before was she playing with the knife in her right pocket.

The two reached the right door and Emilia could finally relax and let slowly go of her companion in the pocket. The door slide open and in the middle of the little room stood Nick and was talking and showing like crazy. Patricia, Elliot and Nathan and even Trevor listened highly interested to his story.

Judy however was sunk into her seat and looked embarrassed up to her fox who continued, "...and then opened the ox the curtain to the inner ward. Carrots eyes widened as she saw what was behind it, namely dozen of different mammals but all of them were naked! And this was the moment my friends, that whiskers realized that we made investigations in a nudist club."

A wave of laughing and cheering went through the little room. Nick took his place besides Judy, who turned to him and said with a shy smile, "How often do you want to tell this part of the story Nick? Will it not become… I don't know boring over time?"

"What? Carrots this is the best part of the whole story, okay almost, let's say directly after the end with Bellwether. " answered the fox with a big grin on his face. Turning his head to the door, he said, "Ah my new sister and the old Lady. We were worried about you and close to sending Officer Hopps to an official rescue mission." said Nick chuckling. Judy stuck her tongue out to him and smiled.

"Oh don't worry Nicholas, I had Miss Conroy with me and felt more than safe in her company," said Emilia and walked over to her seat to get her suitcase and the little casket and said to Judy, "I think we almost reached your hometown my dear." A short look out of the window and the bunny began to prepare herself.

Stella stood herself in front of her seat and got her small travel bag from the luggage rack. Patricia looked worried up to her vixen and stood herself besides her, calmly she whispered, "Are you okay, Stella?"

Stella drew Patricia's head with her paw to her and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. Smiling were both looking in each others eyes and Stella said, "Everything is fine, I talked with your Mom and I think I like her."

Hearing those words triggered instantly Patricia's need of a hug, which she tried to fulfil right in this moment. Both stood in the little compartment clasped to each other, where slowly chaos started to spread. Elliot stood beside them and said, "Ahhh young love, isn't that beautiful? Do you know where this would be even better?"

Stella who looked over Patricia's shoulder said to the beaver, "Let me guess, outside?" and Elliot flicked his finger and pointed at Stella saying, "You got it sister."

Ten minutes later stood Emilia, Elliot, Patricia, Stella and Nathan in front of the big realtime Bunny counter that was now like the complete surrounding, covered in snow. All five mammals tilted their heads and tried to understand if this was a joke or reality. A small discussion between them and they decided to leave it as a joke but a rest of doubt remained.

Nick, Judy and Trevor waited some meters behind them. It was finally Judy who broke the silence and spoke to Trevor, "I totally forgot to ask, what are you doing on Christmas, Trevor?"

"Oh, my bus to Harington comes in 45 minutes and then...well let's see, maybe I cook something for myself…I don't know", answered the hare.

"You...you are alone on Christmas?" asked Judy in disbelieve. Nick heard her words and looked nervously over to her. He knew what was coming and he didn't liked it.

"Well, yeah. My parents travel over Christmas always to different relatives and this year, they are in Goatsburgh. So it will be calm and reflective for me this year," said Trevor, scratching his neck in embarrassment.

The group who had a minute ago discussed the use of the counter was standing now behind Trevor and looked slightly confused up to Judy, who was fighting in this moment with herself. It was a typical Judy fight between her selfish desires and the question what was the right thing to do.

"Trevor, do you want to celebrate Christmas with us? It feels not right to let you here alone in the snow," said Judy and tried to ignore Nathan, Elliot and Stella who almost syncron slapped their paws against their heads. Emilia and Patricia kept smiling but Judy saw they also disliked her idea and she didn't even wanted to know what her fox thought about her idea.

"Are you sure? Well, yeah. I would like celebrating Christmas with you," answered Trevor and smiled over both ears.

"Well, now where everything is clear, we should head to the Burrow, don't you think Trevor?" said Nick and wrapped his arms around the more than happy hare to keep an eye on him and walked with him in a leading position. But as they walked down the steps of the train station, turned Nick his head to Judy and formed silent with his muzzle the word "WHY?". Apologizing looked the little bunny to him and shrugged both shoulders. Behind them followed Patricia with Stella, Nathan with most of the luggage and the Elliot besides him.

Finally and out of hearing range, remained just Emilia and Judy in the yard of the little train station.

"My dear you are just too good for this world and I have the odd feeling, that this attitude will come one day and bites you in your little fluffy butt." said Emilia with a worried face to the little Bunny.

Judy exhaled deeply and answered, "I have the feeling you are right but I hope when something happens, that it hits just me."

Without another word started Judy to follow the little group of mammals.

Emilia stood still for a moment, until now she thought they were alone on the platform. But not far away she could see another mammal.

It was the black wolf from the train.

He seemed calm.

Just standing under the little roof of the train station and smoking a cigarette.

He smiled over to the older vixen.

Emilia shook her head as a warning to the wolf, to better not follow them.


	19. Burn the Mistletoes

**18\. Burn The Mistletoes - Part II**

 _"It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour." Ghost of Christmas Present - A Christmas Carol_

 **Nick**

Odd - was what most of the mammals thought, that came across the little group. Never before saw the farmers in this area such a parade of predators and prey, who walked, talked and laughed with each other, mostly as if they never knew anything better than the companionship of each other. Patricia even tried to convince everyone to call their little group from now one 'the Fellowship of the Bunny', but because everyone knew how the fictional fellowship ended, accepted no one the proposition.

Slowly but steady walked the group through the snow covered landscape. A white dreamland, where almost everything was covered in the frosty particles. But from time to time was a smoking hill raising from the plain land, indicating that a bunny family was preparing eagerly for the Christmas holidays. Every now and then met the little group bunnies, mostly from other families but also some sisters of Judy, who were send from Bonnie to buy some last things for the holidays. Most of them looked at Judy in a mixture of confusion and amazement, amazement because of the beautiful dress she was wearing and confusion about the white hare who was walking right besides her. And who almost seemed to walk with her paw in paw, while Nick was walking along them with a grumpy face, that he tried to cover as good as he can.

Trevor couldn't see it, but Nick shook his head to every member of Judy's family and formed silent the words 'Don't ask'.

The first row of the fellowship was led by Nick, Judy and Trevor. Nick saw very clearly how Trevor's gaze wandered from time to time over Judy's dress and body. He had no doubt about the intentions of the white Hare and he would try his best to keep Trevor's paws from his bunny. But he knew, that he had to be careful, one wrong word, one kiss, or hug and the whole situation could be out of control and their partnership in the police would be over before it even began. Judy tried her best to make small talk with Trevor and Nick was more than thankful that she took the part and not he, talking was for the silver tongued fox no problem but sooner or later the topic would go back to the only one Trevor knew - Judy.

In the last month grew Nick's refusal against the hare more and more, basically with every question Trevor was asking about Judy and her past. At first, it was easy for Nick, he replied with simple phrases that could lead to the past of any mammal, but the more Judy was visiting him and trained them in the academy, the more Trevor asked him out about her. Nick had by now a bad feeling about how the story with Trevor would end, but he didn't know why, it was just this typical odd feeling he had, when something was not adding up.

Nick knew that they were not far from the burrow of the Hopps family, so he took a look around. Behind him walked Patricia, Stella and Nathan. Stella carried her small bag and the case of Patricia, Nathan had a similar fate because of his lost bet with Elliot. It didn't matter which game or bet you made with Nathan, he lost every single time and that was no exaggeration. He seemed to be pursuit by some unlucky spirit, that just wanted him to lose every time he bet on something. Stella even said once, "Nate, I think you can be the first mammal that could live forever, you just have to say every morning, 'I bet today is the day I die' and you be safe for eternity." Understandable, that he found it not so funny. Well at least the others did.

Patricia had meanwhile started to sing 'Let it snow' in her fine soprano voice and of course she didn't cared that no one wanted to sing along with her. But during the second verse of the song started Nathan to join her singing. The long years in the orphanage had just trained to him to sing along with someone who sings Christmas carols. His voice was okay, nothing special but you could listen to it, without running away, with bleeding ears, how Patricia would put it. The young red vixen encouraged Stella to join their little chorus as well but the white vixen seemed a little bit embarrassed about the offering from her better half. Smiling bowed Patricia herself in front of Stella after the song, looked up to her and said ,"What's wrong honey? It's Christmas, time to be childish!"

Half loud replied Nathan to the two vixen, "As if you would act mature when there would be no Christmas, Patty…"

To Nathan's bad luck heard Patricia his words and turned with two puffed up cheeks to Nathan and grabbed him by one of his ears. Under pain, begged the two heads taller black wolf to the small vixen, "Aua...Patty please...I…I'm sorry...auauau...please I will sing with you every Christmas song you want, okay? But...auauaua...leave my ear out of this..."

"That was a close one Nate," said Patricia to Nathan and smiled pleasing to him, "Next time, I will not be so squeamish with you."

All in all was she satisfied with the answer of the wolf and so she let go of Nathan's ears with a smile. Stella watched a little bit shocked the act of the two. Nathan whoever, rubbed with his right paw, his now inner red ear and tried not to lose at the same time any of the suitcases he carried with him.

Patricia turned back to her better half and said with worries in her eyes to the white vixen, "Stella you don't have to be ashamed, it's just Christmas Carols, no matter how bad or crooked you sing, it's just for fun."

"That's not it… I'm not used to have 'fun' on Christmas. By now it was every year more a...quiet and sad time for me. To even have so many mammals around me is something...odd. And we are not even in the burrow. Jeez...I don't know…," tried Stella to explain but she couldn't end her sentence. Patricia took her into a tight hug, stopping her in the middle of her movement.

And with so much Christmas joy in her voice as even possible said Patricia, "Dumb vixen, you have me. There will be no more quiet days for you from now on and on holidays we will celebrate, no time for grumpiness or bad moods. So and now give your dream girl a kiss and stop thinking about such nonsense, " The white vixen smiled slightly and seemed to ban her bad thoughts into the back of her head, giving Patricia a long kiss. Both closed her eyes and almost seemed to sink into each other.

Nathan took some more steps but finally turned around to wait for the two lovebirds with a smile on his face. The two stood there in the middle of the snowy road, clasped to each other with dancing tails over the snow.

Emilia's paw came out of the blue, giving Stella a quick but light slap on the butt. With widened eyes stood Stella still clasped to Patricia, who didn't even noticed the teasing of her mother. Chuckling, said Emilia to Elliot, "See? I told you she would be completely surprised by that Elliot."

Grinning over his whole face, replied Elliot back, "Oh Mrs. Wilde, you little devil. Now I know where Nick has this attitude from."

Smiling continued all 5 mammals her walk to the burrow, after the two ended their little funtime.

And to the delight of Patricia smiled this time even Stella, the teasing didn't seemed to bother her anymore or at least not so much.

As Nick ended his inspection of the remaining mammals and wished himself with Judy to them, away from Trevor and this awkward situation.

Not so far away, could Nick finally see the burrow of his beloved bunny. The whole burrow and and all surrounding barns were covered in a paw wide layer of snow and from all five chimneys raised smoke in the clear blue sky of this december day. Even the big oak tree in front of the Hopps home seemed to be in an all white dress. Finally seeing his second home, he exhaled deeply and looked over to Judy, listening to her tiring conversation with Trevor.

"So,...Ehm Judy. You once told me you have... some siblings," asked Trevor carefully, as if he tried to avoid a critical topic. Nick chuckled pretty loud about the idiotic question but Judy tried to ignore the reaction of her fox and said, "Yeah, that's pretty much an understatement. I have 275 siblings to be exactly. You know bunnies and multiplying...stop it Nick!"

But besides his bad mood because of the hare, couldn't Nick hold on to himself, he started loud to laugh about the statement from Judy. She knew why he laughed so hard but for her it was a topic to discuss just with him and no one else.

Never would she admit it but Nick knew how much she loved their little intimate cuddle sessions, in this relation was Judy like every other bunny or so he heard from someone who had to know it. Jessica, Judy's sister, said once to him during one of their visits, "Nick, you just have to remember two things about bunnies, when it comes to sex. We can come fast and we can come often. So take your time and you should have no problem to please your bunny." Nick smiled at this time over the comment from Jessica but he didn't answered her, he just laid back and enjoyed his correct assumptions.

But right now was Judy from intimacies with Nick so far away, like Clawhouser from a Donut free week. Angry, she looked up to him and said, "Nicholas, I mean it! Stop!"

Called by his full first name, the fox knew that it was time to end the teasing and stopped finally to laugh. Just a grin and a light chuckle remained on his face, soothing he replied to her, "Easy Judy, I stop. Okay? I don't want, that you get one of those adorable little tantrums…"

Still suspicious about his behaviour answered the grey doe to her fox with a light smile, "You're lucky, that today is Christmas and I will be merciful about your stupid behaviour."

Soothing smiled Nick down to her.

"Funny, you two sound almost like an old couple, " said Trevor with a chuckle and walked on. With shock and widened eyes looked both secret lovers to each other.

"Carrots, keep it down or he gets it, " whispered Nick nervously to Judy.

"Me? Do you keep it down. You started the laughing in the first place!" answered Judy, almost hissing to her fox.

But the hare kept his amused face and said to both of them with obvious sarcasm in his voice, "Ah you two...again...It is almost tragic, that you are not from the same species...or at least...similar. But hey, that's just how it is... Predator and Prey, as if something like that would ever work out, right? Ridiculous."

But the odd couple kept calm. They stood still for a moment and looked into each other's eyes, both were filled with sorrow about the way Trevor talked with them. Judy and Nick knew, that this was the opinion from a lot of mammals and change was a hard and cruel thing, too slow when you need it but fast and unforgiven in the moments you need a break. But it wasn't what he said that hurt them, it was the way he said it.

It felt like set to stone, an unchangeable fact that existed since the dawn of mammals and would exists, till the end of days. As if he recited the social laws, rules that couldn't be broken because, they are eternal natural right.

And both felt again the heavy burden upon their shoulders, which they always forgot when they were with their friends, who accepted them without second thoughts. It wasn't just their love, what they had went deeper. They had to fight for what they have and had to fight for every step they would take. Turning back was not an option and also not stepping back because all of these would mean one thing - defeat. And with that the loose of everything they had or would have.

Without noticing that Judy and Nick still stood at the same position, walked Trevor with a big smile on his face on to the big burrow in front of them. But the two couldn't stop looking in each others eyes, they didn't even stopped as the rest of the group walked with worried gaze around them. Emilia turned out of hearing range of Nick and Judy, to the other mammals and said, "This hare… I bet he said something stupid. Tse, some mammals just can't listen."

Stella looked with a worried gaze to Emilia and especially her right pocket. But the white vixen relaxed rather quickly, as she saw that Emilia's paws were outside and again gesticulating in a conversation with Elliot and Nathan.

Nick exhaled deeply and looked down to Judy, he was worried that she would take the statements of the hare to personally and felt sad. But she didn't. Her right feed was stomping fast to the ground and revealed her annoyance.

"Idiot," said Judy.

Instantly and almost automatically replied Nick with worries to her, "I'm sorry…"

"Not you… I meant Trevor. Stupid hare, " replied Judy with a smile to her fox.

"Oh...okay...puh, I'm relieved, " replied Nick, smirking back at his bunny. He could see how the dedication and stubbornness was burning in Judy's eyes. Something he always admired about her, because he never saw her waver as soon as she had made a decision. There was no turning back or any kind of compromises for her, just do or die.

Looking after the group, which still walked to the burrow, Judy said to Nick, "I will never let anyone tell me who I have to love or be together with. That is my decision and mine alone. And when I want to be together with a shifty and untrustworthy fox, then so be it."

Offended and with crossed arms turned Nick around to Judy and said, "Heeeeey carrots, that's not very…okay shifty could be true but…"

Smiling turned Judy around to Nick and grabbed him by his open blue coat, to draw him near to her. Slowly understood the fox, the true intention of his bunny. A last time took Judy a quick look around but the rest of the group had disappeared behind the last curve, before the burrow.

"...buuut to my luck did I found the kindest, loyalest and most loving fox of all and no one should dare to take you away from me or they get to know me from another side, " replied Judy with a big grin on her face.

"You forgot funniest…," said Nick grinning at her and stroked softly with his paws over the backside of her ears, which Judy repaid him with a little moan.

"That my fox, is something only time will tell…. So what now Nick? Nobody is here...maybe we could catch up our missed opportunity for not saying properly hello to each other. What do you think slick, " said Judy, biting her bottom lip after she ended her sentence. Her fox didn't needed to hear this proposal a second time.

And so he wrapped one of his paws around Judy's back and with the other he took softly her head, drawing her near to him, both muzzles now just inches away from each other. Judy could feel the warm breath of Nick on her nose and face. The feeling of him so near to her made a shiver going down her spine, ending in her tail. Uncontrollable it started to wiggle and Judy knew if she lost control over herself, she would go further than the actual situation allows her. So she tried to enjoy it as much as she could but hold it down at the same time.

Slowly closed the doe her eyes and grasped with her paws the cheeks of her fox, drawing him into her. Lips on lips stand both mammals, in the snowy winter landscape. Time didn't mattered for them nor did the rest of the group.

Nick felt the little nose of his bunny twitching, an unmistakable sign that she liked what they did. But also Nick was holding back, he knew her long enough to know that she lost easily control over herself, when she went to far and so he kept his tongue to himself...at least for now he thought, the day was still young and the night not even here.

Slowly parted the lips of the both lovers from each other and Nick ended their kiss by he licking with his tongue over the nose and lips of his bunny and looked her deep in the eyes.

"You are mine…," whispered Nick to Judy with a smile on his face. And of course she knew instantly, how to reply to him. Smiling she said, "and I'm yours."

Switching between each other they tell other the vow, that was burned so strong into their minds that nothing could erase it. Nick begun and their lines were divided accurately.

"From the cold of the sunrise..."

"...to the heat of the sunset."

"In sorrow and happiness,..."

"In illness and health,..."

"From now on,..."

"Till the end."

"I'm yours,..."

"And you are mine.", said Judy to finish their promise. Smiling and looking into each others eyes, stood the two still in the middle of the road, until a voice from not far away broke their personal reunion.

"You two fight a tough competition about the title most adorable couple, against Stella and Patricia. Till now I can declare no clear winner, " said Emilia with a chuckle and stepped closer to the two lovebirds. Judy blushed but kept it together in front of her mother in law. Nick just grinned at his mother.

"I think in this competition we would also accept a tie, what do you say carrots?" answered Nick to his mother, who stood now in front of them.

"No, we just accept a victory and nothing else. Do you think I want to lose against Patty? No way," replied Judy to Emilia and Nick with a smile, her nose was by now slightly red from the cold weather and the blush.

"You heard her mom, now it will go till the bitter end," said Nick with a chuckle and thought to himself - do or die, there was no other way for her.

"Of course Judy, I awaited nothing less from you," said Emilia and continued, "My dear you should walk back to the rest of the group, a specific hare said he was missing you and I could just prevent him from following you two. I told them you had a little quarrel but it looks like you two had more like an, mhm, oral argument…. Anyhow, Judy you should go, Nicholas and myself will follow in a minute or so."

Judy nodded and pressed her fox a quick kiss on the cheek, before she left the scene. Nick's head following the path on which she moved away from him. Not even a minute and Judy was around the curve.

"You know how serious, this vow is for bunnies, right Nicholas?" asked Emilia her son and searched for something in her left pocket.

Nick was still looking after Judy but she was long gone and so he replied calm but serious to her, "I know Mum, but for me… this vow is as serious as for Judy. I know what I got myself into…"

Smiling he turned around to his mother and both started to walk behind the rest of the group through the snow. Emilia had by now found, what she searched for in her pockets. Someone who didn't know her, would think she had a cigarette in the left part of her mouth but it was just liquorice, also known as the root of sweet wood, which produced when you chew on it a fine taste. And Emilia loved this little sticks, a weakness that could turnout pretty dangerous if you chewed them to much.

"You changed Nicholas and I'm glad that you did. I never saw you so happy before, " said Emilia, while chewing on the little stick of wood and letting it hang on the left side of her muzzle, like others kept their toothpick.

"Because I never was Mom, the search for dad almost broke me. And I think Judy found me just in time, " replied Nick with a half sad and half happy smile. Both turned around the corner and had now the group some hundred meter in front of them.

"Oh jeez Nicholas, I have the bad feeling that this is the day of excuses for me," said Emilia and exhaled deeply, a thick cloud of fog was flowing from her muzzle behind her and disappeared into thin air. Finally ready she began," I'm sorry my son, I was wrong. I should have told you anything about your father. Not everything but at least anything, you have a right to understand what he is and why he had to go."

"No Mum, I know now what he is and if you told me that back then… I don't know if I would have accepted it, " said Nick with worries in his voice. Emilia was more than surprised about this facts.

"Where do you…," tried the slightly confused Emilia to know but Nick replied fast back to her, "Judy and I, we both know about him and the organisation but please I don't want to drag you deeper into all of this. And as much as you know her, you should understand what her decision is. She would do everything to stop them, no matter what. And no matter what happened, I will protect her as good as I can and no matter what it costs me. And maybe, but just maybe, I'll be able to bring dad to his justified punishment."

Gloomy looking put Emilia her paws in the pockets of her coat. Nick knew, that she was playing again with the knife in her right pocket. He never told anyone about it, not even Patricia, but he knew that it was a gift from his granddad to his mum. And he knew why she always carried it with her. With a dark voice she replied to him.

"There is only one punishment your father deserves...and that is a bullet in his heart."

"Well, I think this will only work, if he had one…, " said Nick and began to chuckle about his own joke. It didn't take long and Emilia joined the chuckling, that developed even to a little laughter. But after the laughter stopped, stood Emilia still and turned to Nick. Her paws now on his shoulder, her eyes looked serious into the smaragd green eyes of his son. The eyes that remembered her always so much of 'him'.

She tried to ban the thought and said, "Nicholas, please promise me one thing, if you ever have the chance to end it, then do it. Don't make the same mistake, that I did and don't let him go. There is no prison or jail cell that could hold him. As long as he lives, no one in this town will ever be safe."

Nick nodded and smiled his old hustler smile to Emilia and said, "Don't worry Mum, I think I know what I have to do when the time comes... and if not, I still have some aces up my sleeve…."

"You are talking about the others, right?" said Emilia with a light chuckle and continued, "I have to admit, you have a great group there...well except for the hare. And I'm more than happy that Patricia found someone like Stella, I know they have problems but I'm sure they will solve them together."

"Why do you thought, I brought them together?" said Nick smiling. Both were now closer to the group and almost at the burrow.

"But, it was brave from you to let Stella alone into the big city, with Patricia as her guide. No one could know, that the two understand each other so good, " said Emilia while she watched her daughter and Stella walking in front of them, paw in paw. Patricia laughed about something and bumped Stella a little bit with her hip and in return smiled Stella and gave her vixen a quick kiss on the cheek. Emilia couldn't hide her joy about the two and smiled bright over her whole face.

"Just to adorable…," said Emilia.

It was almost afternoon here in BunnyBurrow and the sun was slowly setting onto the horizon. Still a bit to go but the end of the day was already in sight.

"I know it was a risk but you know me, no risk, no fun and besides that I had no other choice, I had my own battle to fight, here in the Hopps home...by the way did you brought the things I asked you for?" asked Nick his mother but she grinned just at him and replied.

"Nicholas, honestly, how do you think about me? Of course I have everything ready, " said Emilia with played indignation to her son and continued," I must say, I was rather surprised when I saw what was in the little box but the initials told me that, it is not for a bunny."

Emilia handed the little black box, together with the sealed envelope over to her son.

Nick's smile turned a little bit darker and he was scratching his neck, as the conversation slowly drifted to this specific topic, " Well, it is not for my bunny, if you want to imply that. It's for Jimmy and Cathy, the ones with the beautiful flowers. For me and Judy, it is… well how do I put it… not the right time."

Still walking, grabbed Emilia her son by the waist and took him into a headlock, something she did very often when Nick and Patricia were kids. She pressed him a little bit down, so that Nick was now one head shorter than her. Nick who still grinned said, "Oh god, mum how long has it been since you did this the last time?"

"Mmh, if I had to guess, I would say...17 years but if I remember correctly, you were back then one or two heads shorter ," replied Emilia with a smirk back to Nick, who still walked slightly bent, with his head in the headlock of his mother. Nick calmed slowly down and almost whispering began Emilia to speak to him, "Listen Nicholas, there is never the right time. Please consider that. I don't want that you are one of those mammals who wait their whole life for a chance that will never come. I know that you love her and I know that she loves you, and for everything else you two will find a solution. And if you afraid of the reactions of the society, well I would say fuck society, what did they ever do for you? You don't need to answer me, just keep it in mind Nicholas."

Nick nodded and smiled up to his mother, he knew that she was most of the time out of the norm, like most of his family members, but sometimes she had her wise moments and he loved her for that. Not realising, that the group in front of them had already stopped, mother and son bumped into Stella and Patricia, who stood at the end of the little group. Both young vixen turned surprised around and looked at the two stragglers.

"You two are late," said Patricia with a smile but Nick just responded, "I would say we are just in time, sister heart. What's going on? Why do we stopped?"

"Looks like there are some little bandits, who didn't want to let us pass," responded Stella to Nick. Slowly walked the four foxes to Judy, which stood one row behind Nathan, Elliot and Trevor. The three males talked with four little bunny girls. The four shook eagerly the head about every answer the male mammals gave them. Together they blocked the way to the entry of the front yard.

"That's not what we want to hear!" shouted the first.

"Yeah, we want to hear the right oath!" replied the second bunny. All four of them wore little winter dresses, which went to the ground, little blue coats and self knitted beanies, from which only the ears peaked out.

Nick heard the voices of the little bunnies and knew instantly who and why they are blocking the way to the yard. Smiling he stood himself besides Judy and listened to the attempts of Elliot and Nathan, Trevor seemed too proud to talk to children in such a way.

"I...swear...that I will...not eat any of you…," said Nathan with a forced smile and looked help searching over to Elliot, who had because of the answer facepalmed himself. A little annoyed said Elliot to the wolf, "Nate, what the hell are you talking there? You can't say to little bunnies, that you will not eat them. And besides that, why are you saying this in the first place? You are vegetarian, you don't even eat fish, so why should you eat a bunny?"

The big black wolf bent down to the little bunnies but none of them shied away. Confused and not really knowing what to say answered Nathan while scratching his neck, "I… I don't know, sorry girls. Normally I'm not such an idiot."

"But, you are an idiot nonetheless, " replied Elliot with a chuckle from behind him. Nathan rolled his eyes and replied back to Elliot, "Hahaha El, very funny."

Dazzled from the situation, said Nathan to the four little bunnies, "But girls, aren't you afraid of me?"

Confused, exchanged the little bunnies gazes at each other, before they started to giggle as if they heard the funniest question in their young lives. It took them almost a minute before one of them spoke to Nathan and said, "Why should we be afraid of you? You are Nathan and that besides you is Elliot, we just don't know who the big bunny besides you is?"

Angered by the words of the little ones, responded Trevor harsh back, "I'm not a bunny, I'm a hare, okay? You should know the difference, even for your age. So and now step back so that we can enter?"

But nothing was okay, the eyes of the little bunny filled up with tears and her upper lip was trembling, as if she heard that her favorite plushy had gone missing. Her tiny paws were clasped to her coat and her eyes were staring at the ground in front of her. The view was heartbreaking for Nathan and without even looking back to the hare, he kneed down and put the bunny on his paw.

Depressed, sat Rosaline, the little 3 year old bunny, on Nathans paw. Her tail was hanging over one edge of his paw and her legs dangled listless from the other side. Nathan smiled as good hearted as he can to the little bunny and dried with his the fingers of his other paw the tears from her face, smiling began the wolf to speak to her , "Don't listen to him princess, he is just a big meanie. Look, I'm here, your aunt Judy, your uncle Nick and all the other bunnies. You don't have to worry about him, okay?"

Slowly, she raised her head and looked with a little smile in Nathan's two colored eyes. Fascinated from the view, opened Rosaline her mouth but couldn't close it. Nathan still smiled at the bunny and asked, "I have an idea. Say do you want to sit on my shoulder? There you are even taller than the mean hare, what do you say?"

"Oh yeeeees, uncle Nathan," said the little bunny with excitement. Carefully put Nathan Rosaline on his shoulder and whispered to her a short, "There you go."

Not even ten seconds on his shoulder and she already stuck her tongue out, down to the hare she couldn't stand. Trevor saw it and looked with an angry gaze up to her but kept silent until Elliot asked him, "Trevor, what the hell was that? She is a little bunny and not some juvenile, which broke into a shop by midnight, jeez. You and your temper…"

"Temper, tse...and you are saying that, especially you?" replied the hare a little bit calmer to Elliot. But the beaver answered directly back at Trevor, "Hey, I know I have a bad tongue but at least I don't argue against little bunnies. Even I have my limits, you know?"

"Could you two please cut it out? You are getting on my nerves with your never-ending discussions," said Nathan and looked down to the rest of the bunnies, who stood now in row and waited for his attention, which they finally gathered back.

"Mmh uncle Nathan? Could we other also sit on your shoulder?" asked the little bunny in front of him with huge puppy eyes, which begged to sit, where her sister already sat. But of course they could, they already found a way into the heart of the black wolf. He couldn't deny any of their requests and so he said, "Sure, come on girls, one, after, the, other."

Four times bowing down and all of the sisters were sitting on his shoulders, finally Nathan realized that something important was missing, "Say girls, what are your names?"

"I think that is something, I can tell you Nate," said Nick behind him with a grin. Surprised from the fox, was Nathan turning around and all four little bunnies shouted with happiness in their voices, "Hello, uncle NICK!" to the fox.

Nick never thought that he would have such a good connection with kids, but somehow it worked, all of them liked him but Tommy and the four rose sisters even adored him, "Hey girls, how are you doing?"

But, which kid wouldn't like someone who dances, sings and tells you stories?

"GOOD," replied the four in an loud synchronized shout. All four were more than happy to see, that their favorite uncle was back in the burrow.

"So Nathan and know listen well, from your left shoulder to your right are sitting Rosaline, the one who cried, followed by Rosemarie, Rosalie and last but not least Rose. Or how I like to call them, the four most adorable flowers in the burrow. Right girls, " said Nick the silver tongued fox to the little bunnies in front of him. They were maybe small but their female intuition told them, that they just received a compliment and not even a bad one.

Everyone from the little group smiled about the fact, how Nick had the girls in no time wrapped around his little finger. The old hustler was still there, but now he was sweet talking to little bunny girls instead of bootleggers and other criminals. And what should he say, he liked it much more than his old job. The payment was bad but he had no more use for money.

"Uncle Nick, you have to say the oath, so you and the others can enter!" exclaimed little Rose from Nathan's right shoulder. And all three other sisters, confirmed of course the wish of her sister with deep nodding.

Not to mention, that everyone else was also more than curios about the fox and his teachings for the younger Hopps family. Judy smiled and said to Nick, "Come on slick, no shyness, what did you teached my little nieces?"

Nick grinned and let his look wander over everyone around him, to made a little dramatic break.

"Alright, alright. I, Nicholas Wilde, solemnly swear that I'm up to no good! Not in this burrow, nor the barns, nor the many tunnels under the Hopps home," exclaimed Nick with a loud voice and made a little bow.

"Yay, correct! You are all allowed to enter!" shouted and giggled the little bunnies on Nathan's shoulder. A chuckle was going through the little group and Judy smiled with a heartwarming expression up to her fox. Which he replied with one of his typical smirks, he knew what she thought and he liked the idea in a special way but it also made him sad every time he thought about it.

"Oh and girls, I promised you a complete white vixen, right? And there she is...Stella could you please...I don't know step in front of Nathan? Thank you very much Miss Conroy…," said Nick and directed the unwilling Stella, in front of the little bunnies. They couldn't believe what they saw, the muzzles of all four girls dropped down and revealed two little front teeths in the same white as Stella. It was an awkward situation for the white vixen but it should turned out even more awkward for her.

"She is so beautiful…," said Rose and her sister Rosemarie nodded and added to this, "...yeah like fresh fallen snow."

"O-okay, thank you. But I'm nothing special… up in the north are a lot of us…," tried the blushed Stella to explain but to her luck or misfortune, depending on who you asked, entered Patricia the conversation and stepped between Stella and the bunnies.

Patricia looked serious and pointed with the finger of her right paw to the little bunnies, "Okay you cutie pies cut it, it was nice that you complimented her but enough. In the end she is still my vixen."

Stella was confused from the words of her better half, took a step and whispered into Patricia's ear, " _What the hell are you doing Patty?"_

" _I'm not sure myself…,"_ whispered Patricia back and started to think about her words. But all others had long understand, what that all was about.

With a little smile looked Nathan down to Patricia and said, "Patty, are you jealous of little bunnies?"

Acting cool and waving with her paw to Nathan, she tried of course to talk everything down, "What? Jealous? Me? Pfft… as if…"

"Oh my goodness, you are jealous of little bunnies! Do you think they take your girlfriend away? Mmh? Come on Patty, tell us," teased Elliot the young red vixen, which she repaid him with a glare that could just mean you are dead beaver.

"She is your girlfriend?" asked Rose on Nathan's shoulder, with a dazzled look on her face. It was something she never heard before and also not her sisters. Two females?

"Yeah, she is my girlfriend. Why do you ask?" said Patricia to the young bunnies.

Stella's head was long sunk into her paws. With a head that seems only able to do one movement and this was a shook from left to right and in reverse, she stood there and tried not to die of embarrassment. She loved Patricia but sometimes… forgot the red vixen her limits.

"But how do you get babies?" asked Rosaline with a big question mark in her face. This question and Stella could just wish that Patricia kept calm - of course she wouldn't.

"Well, basically you have some options for this…," said Patricia, now back to her old joyful mood. But she was immediately interrupted from Stella, who still couldn't believe what her other half was talking there.

"PATTY!" shouted Stella and looked shocked to the red vixen.

Confused over the little outbreak from her girlfriend, tried Patricia to reply, as suddenly the realisation hit her what the problem was, "Ohh..., that is one of those topics, right?"

Stella nodded and tried to speak as calm to her as possible, "Yes Patty it is. And I think the 24th of December, in front of a burrow is not the right place or time to speak with some three year old bunnies about something like that…."

Everytime she thought to understand Patricia and believed she could keep her under control, occured something completely unpredictable.

Patricia turned around to Nathan and the little girls, and started to speak, "Okay girls, listen. I think seven years will be enough for you and then we will talk again about this topic."

Patricia turned around to Stella with a thumb up as if she asked 'I did great, didn't I?'.

"Just...just forget it Patty, okay? Let us go and have a warm drink, hopefully with some alcohol…," replied Stella and let her head hanging. Carefully thought Stella about the fact, how much she loved the red vixen but came to the result that she couldn't live without Patricia at her side, a fact that made her normally happy but right now it just deepens her wish for some alcohol.

Nick stood himself behind Stella and whispered into her ear, " _Don't worry, it will get better over time."_

But Stella nodded just slightly back to Nick and continued to look tired.

"I think Stella is right, we should go, greet the rest and have something warm to drink, " said Judy and walked in front of the group but she shouldn't come far. From the entry of the burrow walked a bunny up to them, which no one could immediately identify. But as soon as Nick could, he turned around and looked into the faces of the group, to enjoy their reactions.

And there it was the muzzles dropped, at first from Nathan, followed by Elliot, Trevor, Patricia and Stella. Emilia just chuckled about the view in front of her. They didn't knew it and who can blame them, if Judy hadn't told Nick before, his mouth would have been open like a barn door.

For a short moment, it was as if a mirroring image walked towards it source, but just with the difference, that one of the bunnies wore a sweater, jeans and a christmas cap. Whereas the other was still wearing her complete Christmas dress.

With big steps and an even bigger smile came Jessica closer to her sister and took her in a tight hug. After it ended she made a step back, hold her sister by her paws and looked at her from head to toe, "Judy, Judy, Judy, I always thought you work for the ZPD but now I have to realize, that you work in reality for Santa Claus? What a beautiful dress...and that behind you must be the rest of the gang, right?"

Jessica took a good look over Judy's shoulder, to made herself a picture of the odd group. After a minute she asked her sister, "Who is the hare? Do we know him?"

"No, he is a room colleague of Nick and has nobody for Christmas...so...I thought one more shouldn't be the problem, " replied Judy and looked excusing to her sister.

No emotional reaction from Jessica, she just stared at the hare and said, "Does he know about you and Nick?"

"No, he has no idea and I also think he has a little crush on me…," said Judy and looked a bit sad to the ground.

"Great sister, you know that you ruined your and Nick's Christmas holidays, right?" replied Jessica and walked a little bit annoyed around her sister to greet the rest. Shortly before she arrived at the group, she put on her best smile.

If she had lived in Zootopia, she and Nick would be the perfect hustler couple, no one would be safe if those two would work together.

But she was here and it was eventually better that those two never met, before Nick and Judy became a couple.

With a stretched out paw walked Jessica over to greet the others. Formly she greeted Elliot and Trevor. Standing in front of Nathan and the little bunnies, her smile turned dirty and she said to the black wolf, "Nathan huh? I heard stories about you. And I think we two will have a lot of fun together."

Confused turned Nathan to the little bunnies and asked them, "Do you know what she meant with that?" But all they could do was shrug with their little shoulders and show their unawareness of the sentence her aunt said to Nathan. Jessica didn't looked back and went on to the next in the row which was Nick. He and Jessica start to smile at each other, like teenage friends who were up to no good. There greeting was always rather untypical.

"I see, you are still not dead fox," said Jessica while shaking Nick's paw, calm and collected responded the fox back, "Neither are you. Seems like the winter isn't so hard in the Triburrow area…"

But both mammals stopped their play and smiled now heartly at each other, Nick drew Jessica into a small hug and said just to her, "Good to see you, Jess. Everything still working in the burrow?"

Without even thinking she responded to him, "Sure, you know before the burrow falls apart will my back break."

"You know Jess, every joke contains, a spark of truth," said Nick with a grim smile. He separated himself from the bunny and stood himself one step away from her.

"Who said, that this was a joke," replied Jessica with a light smile.

He took a closer look at the doe and especially her eyes. It were the same energetic ones, he knew from his own bunny but with a little difference.

"You look tired Jess," said Nick, his voice was full of worries but kept them for himself..

"Don't worry, I will soon have a opportunity to reload my batteries," replied the bunny cryptic.

"Okay, but don't push him too far, okay," asked Nick and smiled at the little grey doe, who replied instantly with a chuckle ,"Ah, I think he will like it…."

Nick couldn't smile about the conversation because it was true, Jessica was after Bonny and sometimes besides her the one who kept this burrow working. Some visits were needed to understand her role in this system but from the first moment, he asked himself why she was still there and had not moved out. It needed some time till he understand, that she was the engine and brain who was controlling everything in the background. She managed the small ones, took care of her mum and the work she did, gave his dad work for the day and planed most of the celebrations and farming procedures in the Hopps family. A Hopps Burrow without her was just unthinkable. And her high sexual appetite was just her way to keep the balance between all the work and some minutes of peace.

Jessica went on, greeted Emilia and Stella, stopped in front of Patricia and scanned her from head to toe. Smiling she said to her," And you must be the crazy vixen I heard so much about."

Her mood was good and so she laid a paw on her right cheek, played the embarrassed one and said, "Oh stop it you...you almost make me blush."

"I have not the slightest idea why, but I like you Patty," replied Jessica with a big grin.

"Well, that's not difficult to explain I'm a very charismatic mammal, a little of base sometimes but everytime ready to bring a little bit of joy in your life, " said Patricia with a blink to Jessica.

Finally turned Jessica around and said loud to all mammals on the yard, "Okay guys, I think it's time to finally bring some life into this burrow, the eggnog should be ready in some minutes and then can Christmas finally start."

Without further interruptions went the little group under the lead of Jessica into the burrow.

It was like Nick imagined it. The heat of the ovens, spread from the open kitchen area into the dining and living hall, with its long tables. The hall itself was over and over decorated in red and white garlands. And over every door, corner or passageway hang a small mistletoe to motivate the here living mammals to share some kisses. Not that they needed even more motivation for this.

The main piece of festivity was the huge Christmas tree, in the middle of the hall, hanged with all the things a Christmas gift shop could sell you, but it still followed the tendency of red and white, like the rest of the room. Nick could imagine who was responsible for this strict plan of coloration. On the top of the tree sat a little Christmas angel, which was basically a little bunny, in a white dress and some wings. Nick had to look two times at the little doll, to be sure that it wasn't one of Judy's siblings who tried to play a trick on unknowing strangers, like them.

It was relatively quiet in here and Nick needed some minutes to find the cause of this unnatural silence. Cathy sat with approximately eighty bunnies on the far left end of the hall in front of the fireplace and red outloud a story from a book. The surrounded bunnies were so caught in the story that they didn't even recognized, the new and unusual guests in the burrow.

"Ah Judy my dear, you are all finally here!"

The voice of Bonny echoed through the hall and even some bunnies in front of Cathy turned their head to the entry of the burrow. The lady of the house came together with some of her daughters - bunnies in the age between 12 and 14 - to the new guests to greet them properly, she seemed stressed, because she was still wearing some thick gloves against the heat of the ovens and didn't even recognize it.

"Oh Judy, I was so worried, I thought something happened to you or the others...I mean it's a long way from Zootopia to Bunny Burrow…,but anyhow you did it and I'm happy that all of you could make it. And I have to say, really a great dress that you wear...and of course Patricia you too," said Bonny in an heartwarming tone to the little group. Behind her appeared now even Jimmy in the kitchen, who leaned onto a pillar, one of many who support the ceiling in here and his left paw full of Christmas cookies. He grinned at Nick and the others like an idiot and the red fox maybe even know the reason why.

The little group dissolved and greeted every bunny here and there in the entry area of the burrow. Jimmy however was in the kitchen area, a place with a huge table in the middle, an unusual amount of sinks and .Nick walked over to Jimmy, leaned against the same wooden pillar Jimmy leaned onto and said, "That you can eat so relaxed, all this cookies while everyone else is still working so hard Jimmy."

Without reserve took Nick a cookie from Jimmy's paw and started to eat it. Jimmy was still grining at his friend and said, "I deserve this cookies, in contrast to you Nick, have I helped Cathy the whole day in the green house."

"Yeah, sure. I can imagine how you 'helped' Cathy in there, "said Nick and chuckled about the statement of the buck.

Dazzled looked Jimmy to Nick, who smirked at him with a dirty grin and wiggled knowingly his eyebrows. Jimmy understood instantly his allusion.

"How do you want to know that?" replied Jimmy. The buck had stopped eating the cookies in his paw and looked now interested to his friend.

"Two things, first Cathy's long fur is then completely messed up and she normally can't blush for quite some time. And you know how she loves to blush over the day." said Nick. Jimmy nodded just light, but he did, telling Nick everything he needed to know.

"Okay second, because I can't see Cathy from the near at the moment, is your stupid smile, my friend. And despite the fact that the difference to your normal one is just minimal but if you know it…, well let's say the difference is remarkable." said Nick and ended his findings.

"Haha, very funny Nick," replied Jimmy but the fox saw how Jimmy turned slightly to the windows and check on his appearance.

For a while stood both males leaned on the pillar and watched the welcoming of the little group. Patricia tried to make herself popular among the kids, what was for her an easy task and showed two smaller bunnies the oldest magic trick in the book and let a coin disappear in thin air and later reappear behind the ears of on of the bunnies. The two little bucks from maybe 5 years, were amazed about this trick and walked away with the coin in one of their paws, waiting that the wonder happened again.

Nick taught Patricia the trick, at a time were she had strictly to stay in bed because of a bad flu. If Nick remembered correctly was Patricia at this time 5 years old, just like the two bucks. But unlike them, she didn't believed in any kind of magic, not for even a second. She looked deep into Nick's eyes and said, "How did you do this brother? Teach me, please!"

And Nick teached her the trick and not even two days later, she had mastered it. Something other kids needed weeks to learn, was for her a matter of days or even hours. And the same trick, he would need in a second but in a changed pattern.

"What do you say Jimmy? Will you trade in your last cookie for a little surprise?"

Jimmy looked at first at the cookie, one in the form of a pine tree, that had even some small red balls on it and then to Nick. After a short period of thinking, shrugged Jimmy his shoulders and said, "It's a good one but hey you're like a brother to me, so take it Nick."

Honored by the words of the buck, stretched Nick his paw out. Shortly before he took the cookie, he exchanged the piece of bakery for the little black casket. The movement of Nick's paw was too fast for Jimmy, he needed a moment to understand what happened. Confused he looked at the black box, while Nick munched the cookie he just got.

"You are right Jimmy, this was really a good one," said Nick and licked two of his fingers with a satisfied smile.

"Nick, what is that?" asked Jimmy.

"I told you, it's a trade in and oh before you start lamenting, I didn't pay for this," said Nick. His smile grew now from second to second, just like his anticipation. At first he wanted to give the ring and the envelope to Jimmy and Cathy as a gift the next morning, like the tradition would suggest. The plan was to place it under the Christmas tree but after some seconds he thought that it wouldn't be the best idea to place the information and the access, to a bank account with the approximately amount of 200.000 dollar free for everyone under a tree. And besides that, this is Jimmy's ring for Cathy and their special moment not his.

"NICK! What the hell is wrong with you," shouted Jimmy, his voice echoing through the whole burrow, like a fired canone. Also the result was the same, almost everyone turned their head to the source. Nick tried to divert the attention away from him and Jimmy.

"I told you, it would be great if you could find a ring like the one I showed you from Spiffany's, a replica not the real deal! That thing...that must be at least 2000$. Sweet cheese and crackers," said Jimmy and let his right paw run over his ears but his eyes were still on the ring in his left.

He wanted for Cathy a white gold ring, with a relatively big heart shaped diamond in the middle, something he could only tell Nick. On the one hand because he and the fox became good friends and the other reason was that Nick could shut his mouth and not even tell Judy about such things. But all he wanted was a re

"14," replied the fox back and continued watching how the greeting some meters away still went on. By now joined also Stew, together with some of the older brothers the happy welcoming. Despite her age looked the brothers very intimidating after talking with Nick's mother and they also didn't seem to have the guts to face Nathan head on. They couldn't know that the Black wolf was more the friendly giant, than anything else.

"What 14, what are you talking about Nick?" said Jimmy and seemed as if he was not far away from throwing a tantrum. But Nick played on, he loved this too much and it was a while ago since he played such an enjoyable game the last time.

"The costs. 14.000$ was the price, plus minus some hundred for the engraving," said Nick. The mouth of the buck dropped but he looked still in his left paw and didn't know what to do. With trembling paws took Jimmy the ring out of the little box and looked at it in every detail. He saw now the distinctive symbol of Spiffany's and the engraving he wished 'From J to C', it was real, no fake and everything was as he imagined. Never did he thought that he could get something so valuable for his beloved bunny.

Since they came together, he tried his best, to save money for them but everytime as it seemed to look better, happened something unpredictable. And now crossed this fox his way and everything should turn out for the best? Just like this? He couldn't believe it.

"Wait, did you say you didn't payed for it?" asked the buck.

"That's correct buddy...you did," said Nick and watched how the words sink into the buck.

And with the realisation what Nick had just revealed to him, appeared a new emotion on the face of Jimmy - Desperation.

"W-what? N-nick, I don't have the money for that...It took me and Cathy our last savings to buy something for Tommy to Christmas…," pleaded Jimmy and hoped that all of this was just a bad joke. His eyes were still fixated on the ring, his wish to keep it and put it on Cathy's paw couldn't be greater. But for him was clear, that the right moment hadn't come yet.

"No Nick, it is a nice dream but not now. Maybe another time…"

Jimmy closed the little black box and handed it back to the fox.

Nick decided, that Jimmy suffered enough and pulled the sealed envelope out of his coat and said, "Well, if you ask me, I would say it is the perfect time to dream a little bit longer."

Smiling, held Nick the envelope over to Jimmy, who was now even more confused. He took it and looked at the seal.

'First Bank of Zootopia '

Red Jimmy the big letters on the red paraffin seal out loud and looked up to Nick, who nodded to him and said, "You are the owner of this envelope, Jimmy. You and Cathy. So look into it, enjoy the holidays without sorrows and tomorrow, we two rascal think of a way to put that beautiful ring on your beautiful wife, okay?"

Jimmy couldn't answer, he needed to know what was in the envelope, he broke the seal, took the papers out and started to read them...

again...

again...

and again…

...to partly understand what was written on them. He wasn't here at the moment, well at least not his mind and so he could just say one word to Nick, "How?"

"Well brother, this is the money of the orders my mum collected and dealt out in her restaurant. As I said, a lot of rich mammals would like to buy what you provide. And much more ordered one. Oh and we could put the regular price up to 500 $, for each plant. Why, you maybe ask? Because they wanted to pay that much and we are good at making deals. Ah hell what do I see, give me fridge and I sell it in Tundra town, for the double two have created great flowers, to sell them for less than that would be a shame," said Nick to Jimmy, who still held the papers in his trembling paws.

Jimmy's eyes switched constantly, between the for him much to high number at the bottom and the names of the two owners. The first name was his own 'Jim B. Hopps' but directly besides him stand with the title equal owner, the name 'Catherine M. Hopps'. It was the first time, that Jimmy read her name in combination with the name Hopps and he liked it, so much that it made uncontrollable smile. It was just a nice little gesture from Nick but somehow it meant a lot to Jimmy.

The mind of the buck almost exploded, they hadn't talked about something like a wedding for a long time now, those were unreachable dreams for them, since the miscarriage and Cathy's long stay in the hospital. His only goal till now was to keep them afloat, he had no time or strength to plan anything for the future. But Nick was right, with this they had finally the opportunity to do what they planned so long ago and what was sometimes even forgotten.

Realising all of this, Jimmy couldn't keep it together. His tears began to flow silently over his face and he took Nick who still stood beside of him in a tight hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you..I don't know...how I can ever repay you…," said Jimmy, his voice shaking from the tears and the little shock, that was still going on in him, "Oh jeez I'm such a cry baby."

"That is something we can both agree but I guess it runs in your family," said Nick and chuckled loudly.

The fox responded to the hug and patted slowly the back of the buck.

It was by now that Nick saw that Judy stood some meters away from him, leaning against another column in the kitchen area. She stood there and smiled heartwarming at him, Judy knew what Nick had done for her brother, Cathy and little Tommy. And she knew, Nick did this because he wanted to, not because of her or a strange obligation. Something like this, would the grey doe never accept from her fox. No, this was different he felt responsible for every member in the Hopps family, no matter who it was or how many time he had spend with them. Of course would Judy take forever a special place for him but this was out of question from the very beginning.

Their gazes met for a short time and Nick repaid Judy with an equal heartwarming smile, until she nodded a last time to her fox and formed silently with her mouth the words 'Love you', which the teasing fox answered with an equally silent 'I know'. Rolling her eyes and smiling, turned Judy back to the group and wiggled a last time with her tail. Something she did, when only Nick could see it and no one else.

The sobbing on Nick's chest changed more and more into a chuckling and Nick said to the buck, "Na, na you bunnies always so emotional… You know I would normally stroke over the ears of a bunny which comes crying to me but I think this is something, I will keep between Judy and myself. Second thing, you should thank my mum, she did most of the work, I just had the idea. And last but not least, I think I know how you can repay me…"

Jimmy was instantly back to his moderate former self, he separated from Nick and looked with widened eyes at him. The buck stood in front of Nick, in his left paw still the closed black box, the papers in his right and asked, "Tell me! Just say it and I do it…"

Laughing responded Nick back at him, "Relax Jimmy, I just thought...well...to a wedding, you maybe, but just maybe need a band...so…I Nicholas Wilde, would provide my best skills on your hopefully happiest day."

Jimmy started to grin at the fox and replied, "Oh it would be great to see you perform but didn't you say, you have no more band?"

"Minor details that shouldn't you bother. Trust me, till the big day I will have a new band, that will rock the shit out of Bunny Burrow, there will come a lot of guests to the wedding, or?" asked a little doubtful.

Jimmy shook slowly his head and said, "You have no idea, of bunny weddings my friend."

And then silence, in which Jimmy stared alternately to the box and the envelope. He still couldn't believe it...the hard work would pay off. And he knew that he could never repay, what Nick had done for him, even if it was just minimal effort for him, like he said but what Jimmy not believed.

"But... when the time comes, I need more than just a band, what do you think of becoming my best man for the day?"

Nick bowed before Jimmy and said, "It would be an honor for me Mr Hopps."

"But you should hide the ring and the documents now, not that your bunny gets wind of this. If I see it correctly is Cathy coming to greet me. I think we will talk tomorrow on a quiet place about all of this."

"Oh blueberries! Yes! Of course...I have to go...blueberries", 'cursed' the grey buck and was surprised by the fact that Cathy was now almost at their position. He put the black casket into the pocket of his jeans, the papers back into the envelope, grinned a last time at Nick and went through the kitchen, into the depth of the burrow. Nick called chuckling after Jimmy, "And don't forget, after the holidays you two have a lot of work to do."

"You got some orders for us?" asked the smaller black bunny with a wide smile and her arms crossed behind her back. Nick turned around and looked down at Cathy, chuckling he gave her a quick hug and said, "Oh you will like it Cathy, believe me. But that is work my dear. And do we say to work on holidays?"

Cathy looked questioning but remembered the words Nick used the last time he asked such a question to Judy and replied, "Not today!"

"Correct, but say did you see your son somewhere? I wanted to say hello to him?" asked Nick.

Cathy took a quick look but couldn't find Tommy in all the chaos around her, "I-I'm sorry Nick, he was here a moment ago but you know how he is...or this home...he."

A little chuckle came from her, at the end of her sentence, almost as if she tried to excuse the burrow. But for Nick was nothing wrong with a little bit chaos.

"Don't worry Cathy, sooner or later we will run into each other. Come, I will introduce the others to you and no blushing, there is no one who will hurt you, okay ," said Nick and laid an arm around the shy bunny. He could feel her resistance and her small attempts to outrun the situation but he pushed her forward. Nick saw where her gaze went to and so he whispered to her, "You don't have to fear the black wolf, he is as kind and warm as Bonnie...if you are afraid of someone, than my sister or the beaver…"

Grinning looked Nick at the widened eyes of Cathy but it was too late for her. Nick gave her little push and she ended in the entrance area, but to be exactly in front of Elliot, Patricia and Nathan. Never would she did this on her own. All three looked to the black bunny and waited that she would say something but all Cathy could do was staring at the wolf in front of her. She was lamed with fear, unable to speak or move.

Nick saw it and gave Nathan finally a nodding, that he should break the ice between them. And gentlemammal as he was, he bowed down, took carefully her little paw into his own and gave her a little kiss on the backside. Smiling he said to Cathy, "Nice to meet you, my name is Nathan and yours?"

Cathy, just seconds ago lamed by fear, was now lamed by her own shame. Her inner ears turned in no time in a pinkish red, that Nick knew very well from her. Her mouth stood open and her eyes stared at Nathan.

"Great Nathan, you're not even an hour in this burrow and broke already the first bunny. And this just with your presence and being nice," said Elliot and crossed his arms.

"Wait a minute…," said Patricia serious and grabbed the little flashlight, she always took with her in one of her pockets. Without waiting for a reply, took Patricia the lamp and examined the eyes of Cathy.

"Cathy, how long do you have this yellow in your eyes?" asked Patricia with serious concern in her voice.

Brought back by the flashlight and the direct call of her name, she replied slowly, "I-I don't know, m-maybe for two weeks? I'm not so sure."

"Say Cathy, can I examine you a little bit longer, during one of the next days? I just want to clarify, what you got, okay sweetheart? And don't worry, you will get a sweet treat at the end of the checkup," said Patricia and blinked with one of her eyes to Cathy.

"Are you a doctor?" asked Cathy but before Patricia answered, was Elliot faster and said, "I know it sounds like bullshit but this vixen is a real doctor and not even a bad one."

Nodding and with an impressed face turned Patricia to the beaver, " Mr. Anderson, such nice words from you? Is this the spirit of Christmas, speaking from inside you?"

"Christmas spirit? Fuck no! That's just my experience speaking to you and now Patty excuse me but this cosy looking chair in front of the fireplace is calling my name," replied Elliot and walked slowly into the main hall of the Hopps home. Stunned looked Cathy after Elliot.

"Don't mind him Cathy, he is a little bit special...and no Nathan, this time I want no funny comment from you," said Patricia and looked with half closed eyes to the black wolf, who almost wanted to reply, but rethought his plans after he remembered what happened just hours ago. He could still feel a slight pain coming from his ear.

Patricia was in high mood and eager to see the rest of the burrow. And she wouldn't stop to ask until she got, what she wanted.

"Say Cathy, would you mind giving us a little tour through the burrow? Judy has work to do and I'm sure that my brother is more than happy to entertain the bunnies a little bit, right Nick?" asked Patricia but didn't really awaited a reply. Behind her stood already Emilia, Nathan and Stella, who were also eager to see how big a burrow can be. Carefully answered Cathy with a smile to the group in front of her, "S-sure, mmh, I think you can let your luggage and Jackets here. And yeah, if you are ready then please follow me."

Nick watched, how Nathan, Emilia, Stella and Patricia followed the black bunny into the depth of the rabbit hole. He smiled because he knew how long such an journey could be. Already out of his view but still in his hearing range, exclaimed Patricia loud to Cathy, "Oh, oh! Could we please go at first to the greenhouse, where you raise your beautiful flowers?"

Happy answered Cathy to Patricia, "Yeah, sure. If you want to see them?"

"See them? Hah, I wish I could own one...," said Patricia and walked with the rest of the group in one of the tunnel and with that out of Nick's range.

'Smooth little sister, really smooth…,' thought Nick while he shook his head. Finally, was a little bit of calm coming to the kitchen area and the living hall. Judy and Jessica were with their parents in the kitchen and talked about the next days. It seemed that all Nick could do now, was play some little songs for the remaining bunnies. So he went over to the wardrobe in the entry hall and where he deposited his beloved old guitar.

He hang it with it's band around his neck and walked into the living hall, playing 'Jingle Bells Rock' while he walked in direction of the huge tree, to get the attention of the little rascals. The bunnies recognized him at once and streamed to him. Most of the boys were covered in handcrafted sweater and some worn out jeans and the girls of course in thicker dresses, well at least most of them.

"Uncle Nick! Uncle Nick!"

Shouted the bunnies from every side of the hall, climbing over the long tables or under them, just to reach the fox and sung some songs with him. Still some meters away from the tree, jumped a little black shadow on Nick's shoulder, he needed not to check who that was.

"I searched for you Tommy. How is my Fluff General doing," asked Nick the little black bunny on his right shoulder.

Tommy smiled over his whole face and replied back, "I'm good...say uncle Nick, dad said we will go tomorrow ice skating...would you...well…," Nick knew what he wanted and replied instantly, "Go with you to the frozen sea and teach your aunt Judy, how pro's do ice skating? I would say, sure thing."

Happy about the answer waved Tommy with his arms and shouted to the rest of the crowd, "Uncle Nick is coming ice skating with us!"

And again broke hell lose all around Nick, with Tommy on his shoulder, one bunny clasped to each of his legs, three of them on his tail, walked the fox carefully to the tree. In front of him spread a carpet of living and moving fluff that, to Nick's surprise, never colidated with his feet.

Finally, sat the fox down on the bench in front of the tree and looked around him. At least 40 bunnies waited with big eyes for him to start, but Nick wouldn't made it so easy for them. Until Cathy's group was back and joined them under the Christmas tree, this time even with Jimmy, which they found on their way through the burrow, sang Nick with them a lot of the Christmas songs who all of them knew. From 'Let it snow', 'Frosty the Snowman', 'Jingle Bells Rock' and Nick's personal favorite 'Run Rudolph Run' (a Christmas version of the song 'Little Queenie') played the fox almost everything to please the little fluffs in front of him. Already singing for half an hour straight but the little ones didn't get tired, well talking about bunnies and their endurance.

"Mum!" shouted Tommy as soon as he saw Cathy. The young buck run over to her and Cathy took him smiling on her arms. Stunned looked the little bunnies at the arriving mammals, they never saw so much foxes in their home and to all of this also a black wolf with two colored eyes. Nick sat with crossed legs on one of the benches and leaned both of his paws on his guitar, smiling he watched the developing conversations in front of him.

On the left bench in front of Nick sat Cathy with Tommy on her arms, Jimmy still grinning like an idiot and Patricia with Stella close to her site. The right bench was occupied by the little Rose sisters, who seemed to had by now a crush for Nathan, the black wolf himself who still played the watchdog for the four sisters and Emilia who sat at the end of the bench and chewed satisfied and happy on one of her liquorice sticks.

Nick saw that Jessica came from the kitchen area and not far behind her Judy and Trevor. With rising annoyance watched Nick, how Trevor took Judy to the site and seemed to start a conversation with her. To his luck were both standing right in his sight and he also saw that Judy looked help searching from time to time over to him. But whatever happened in front of him, he kept always an eye on his bunny. Just in case.

Patricia who watched now the hall in every detail, stopped with her view at an old upright piano, which stood right in front of her. A smile grew on her face as soon as she saw it and wanted now just one thing, to play a little bit on the instrument. But to her dislike saw Nick her gaze and said, "Forget it sister, no one played on that thing for 10 years, I asked Stew already, because I knew that you would try it out as soon as you see it."

And in an instant was the smile gone but that didn't stopped Patricia, she stood up and walked over to it, "Well, I could tune it...or?"

With high hopes opened the vixen, the keyboard and pressed a button. Her ears laid instantly down and her face was covered by a painful expression, almost as if she had a bad visit by the dentist. "Autsch,...that is not good,...Jimmy, I can't find the tuning instruments, do you know where they are?" asked Patricia, while searching the piano.

"What does it look like, Patty?" asked Jimmy and went over to her. Patricia stood on the piano bench and her head was almost disappearing in the main part of the piano, which she had opened through the wooden cover at the top. Waving in circles with her left paw, she said, "In most cases it is a wooden casket and in it multiple instruments covered in red velvet."

"Oh,..." replied Jimmy and looked at Patricia with a excusing gaze but turned rather quickly away, as she looked directly at him. The vixen looked a bit confused at the buck but something told her that he was embarrassed. It was those typical behaviour, that you saw something but didn't wanted to admit it and Patricia had an idea what it was.

"Oh, what? A little bit more info would be great," said Patricia and wagged eagerly with her tail, still standing on the piano bench. Jimmy was meanwhile scratching his back and tried to avoid direct eye-contact with Patricia as good as he could.

"Hey, Jimmy? Are you there? What's wrong," asked Patricia with a teasing smile but the buck kept looking away from her. Stepping down from the bench, taking the few steps to him and leaning close to his ear, Patricia whispered to him, "What's wrong? Did you saw something beneath my dress and now you are afraid that you liked it? Listen, I would have nothing against a little bit of fun with you and your sweet little black bunny. What do you say?"

To put the cherry on the cake, blowed Patricia Jimmy a little bit in his long ear. The buck had enough, with a red head and ears he turned around and walked back to his place and thought with that would the whole story be over.

But not with Patricia, she shouted after him through the whole hall and so loud that everybody could hear it, "Oh come on Jimmy, that was joke, okay? I'm already taken, so no hard feelings if you already thought about it! ...Oh I almost forgot, where is the tuning device?"

Most of the mammals turned their heads slowly towards Patricia. Stella who could imagine what happened, turned to Cathy and said excusing, "I'm so sorry, I don't know what she did but I'm sure it was just a little bit teasing."

Cathy waved with her paw and giggled, "Don't worry, it's nothing bad if someone plays from time to time a little prank on Jimmy."

Fast and still with a red head walked Jimmy back to tree but made short turn and shouted back to Patricia, "The device should be with my grandpa, so good luck with that!"

Walking path Nick, Jimmy said quietly to him, "Your sister is the devil, Nick! I never believed but now I do." and went on.

But Nick couldn't concentrate on the happy talks in front of him nor of the played argument between Jimmy and Patricia. His eyes were now completely focused on his bunny and the hare. Like a hawk, he watched everything Trevor did. Watched every movement of his lips and every gesture. The talk between Judy and Trevor got more and more heated. And the hare got closer and closer to her. She stood with her back against the wall, nowhere to escape.

And without even realizing what he did, was Nick laying his guitar on the bench and walked in her direction. He needed to, no matter what happened he would be there for her.

The halfway laid between Nick and his bunny, as Trevor leaned closer to Judy and gave her a kiss, right beneath one of those damned mistletoes.

Time stopped and it didn't mattered for Nick, if it was a second or an eternity. And inside his chest, he felt a pain - something he couldn't describe, something new. It was not the stitch Nick sometimes felt when he teased Judy a bit too much, not like the bad feeling everytime she drove home alone in their apartment, no this was completely different. More like a knife which runs right through your heart and let you slowly bleed out, a pain so strong and enduring that nothing Nick knew till this moment that came close to it. He remembered his stay in the hospital, long ago, but even this was not comparable, nothing was.

And in Nick returned a feeling that he banned long ago, in the deepest depth of his heart. A feeling, that brought him till now nothing but more pain, something he disliked so much, that he thought now where he had Judy, it was finally gone – hate. Not for Judy, no. Never could he feel this emotion for her. She could shoot him and he would still think, 'Well probably I deserved it.' He remembered the vow, the things that had happened so far, and he knew it was nothing but a fragment of the things that were yet to come.

But despite the fact how much disliked the feeling, he needed it right now, he needed it to keep on walking, to face what was in front of him. And again felt his gaze onto the mistletoes.

Those damn mistletoes, nothing more than parasitic plants, Nick never liked them and he never understood why they had to hang everywhere on Christmas.

The kiss didn't last longer than a second, in a first and exploding reaction pushed Judy Trevor some meters away, he stumbled but didn't fall. Tears filled her eyes and her paw was clenched to a trembling fist. But Trevor didn't stopped, he grabbed Judy's right arm and spoke, "That's it? That is the decision you made? You choose a criminal over me?"

For a moment looked Judy perplexed at the hare, almost as if she didn't understand what he had said. She made up her mind and her face became expressionless, calm but with anger in her voice said Judy, "Decision? I never made one, at least not between you two. When we met, was my choice long clear. It was Nick and never someone else. Do you really thought, you could change my mind? Just because you are such a great guy? Maybe that will hurt you but you aren't. All you do is for your one sake, never did you helped others who were in need of support. Stella needed help and you tried to get rid of her, you rejected all invitations to join the group because you thought you were better on your own. You did all of this, just to come closer to me, right?"

Nick was just some meters away and could now clearly hear the talk between both, it soothed him a little bit how she talked about him but also made him sad, that she had to do it in the first place and under such forced conditions.

Judy shook off the paw of Trevor, which clenched till now on her right underarm. With a stretched out finger, turned the grey doe a last time to Trevor and said, "Listen carefully Trevor, even and I repeat myself, even if you were the last mammal on this planet, I wouldn't choose you. Sweet cheese and crackers, I would rather die than spending my life with you!"

With those words out, she ran past him. Just some meters and she stopped, looking in the eyes of her fox, who stood at the passway between entry and living hall. It was just now that she truly realized what happened some minutes ago and what he had to witness. Still overwhelmed form her emotions and the events that took place, tried Judy to explain herself, "Nick...I...I'm sorry…" but broke her talk in the middle of the sentence and runned out of the burrow. Her paws both pressed to her mouth and tears floated down her cheek as if she lost Nick forever. She came across her parents who just heard the last part of the conversation and tried to intervene but it was too late.

"Judith, what happened?" asked Bonnie her daughter but Judy was too fast and long outside of the burrow to hear that.

Meanwhile died every last conversation, laughter or chuckling in the living hall. All eyes were now on Nick and Trevor.

And there it was again the hate that Nick felt as Trevor kissed his bunny. HIS bunny and no one else. He couldn't hold back now, he took the hare by his collar and lifted him up. In Trevors eyes was nothing but contempt left for the fox. Calm but angered spoke Nick to Trevor, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Chuckling was all that Nick earned for his question from the hare and he instantly knew that this was not the same Trevor he shared his room for last three month. This was the real Trevor and no longer the ass kissing overachiever, he had to endure until now.

"Wrong? With me? Seriously Nick?" asked the hare in played confusion and pushed Nick with one of his legs against one of the huge tables. The sound of chairs and a huge table which was dragged over the floor filled the air and Nick had a hard impact on the edge of the table but could hold himself up in the last second. Out of the angles of his eyes he saw that Nathan was just some feet behind him, like a loyal shadow, ready to interfere as soon as it was needed.

"Whom of us seduced a bunny into an unnatural predator-prey relationship, hmm? And don't you think I didn't heard your sweet talking with her in the night. I just thought, you made a joke, because I couldn't believe that something ludicrous like you two are, could actually exist."

Nick stood up and looked angered at the hare, "What do you want Trevor? Judy made her decision. And you know that is up to her to decide, not you."

"Decision? You are nothing but an error, a criminal, a hustler - you are not a decision. Why couldn't you just stay on the streets and continue your miserable life? Oh yes, I know the stories about you. Not just the ones you tell others, the funny ones which made everyone laugh. No, I mean also the dark ones that you keep for yourself. I hope you told Judy about those to! Mmh, come on Nick did you told her about you and Mr Savage? About the past you two share? You worked with criminals, mobsters, bootleggers and even the fucking ZBI, the criminals in Zootopia have at least something called honor, something you don't know. You worked with everyone, who paid the right price, heh fox?"

Mumbling was going through the hall, at first it was just Stella, who asked Patty who this Mr. Savage was because she thought that this must be a well known mammal. But he wasn't famous, infamous would be more correctly and then just under criminals. Nick could also hear a distant ,"Oh, fuck." And he knew that it was coming from Elliot. If somebody knew who Mr. Savage was, than Elliot.

Nick was fighting with himself not really knowing what he should do, pushed into a corner he never wanted to end. After some seconds he said, "No, I didn't tell her! But I will."

Laughter was all that Nick earned from the hare for this answer. It didn't bothered Nick, he was used to it. Bonnie entered in this moment the living hall and walked with an angry face up to Trevor, she heard what he had said and even Nick was intimidated by her appearance. Nick knew his mum could be frightening but Bonnie...this was a whole different story. She was trembling but Nick didn't know if it was because of fear or anger but most possible a mixture of both. But despite all that stood Bonnie herself in front of the hare and faced him, she was a mother and one of her kids was hurt, she had to intervene.

"Mr Smith, please leave this burrow at once. I will not accept that you harm my daughter, my son-in-law or any other guest here," said Bonnie and hoped that the rational site of Trevor would accept, that it was over. But Trevor was far from over, to be exactly was he just about to start. With pity looked Trevor at the old doe and said, "You aren't better than your daughter or any other of this freaks in this burrow, that you call guests. Two vixen in love with each other? Disgusting! Nothing , a wolf jackal hybrid? A sin in the first place. Elliot a troublemaker and in my eyes even a terrorist. But Nick...ooh he is the worst of all, seducing a mammal for his own good and then taking advantage of her…"

Trevor couldn't finish his sentence, a slap in the face of the hare, from Bonnie did this. For a doe of her age, was the slap strong and very precise. Bonnie seemed to be surprised by her own reaction, she was looking at her paw, trying to understand what happened just seconds ago. Trevor checked his face and felt that his bottom lip bled where Bonnie had hit him, a little crack, nothing more. But enough to enrage the hare even more. A growl was coming from his throat, he stretched his paw out and said ,"You dirty old hag...you will regret this…"

Bonnie closed her eyes and waited for the impact of the hit. But there wouldn't come any. Slowly opened the old doe her eyes and looked what happened. Nick stopped Trevor's paw in mid air and held tight to it. The fox was angered and this was now his turn. Like he had learned it just weeks ago from Judy, he took advantage of Trevor's position. With less effort took the red fox the hare in custody and bowed his arm on his back, turning the rest of the mammal in direction of the exit. With one of his legs brought Nick the hare on his knees, where his cursing and growling continued. He waited till Trevor had calmed down a bit and came with his mouth, close to the hares ear. Almost whispering, so that just the ones in the near could hear it, said Nick, "Okay listen Trevor, you can insult and offend me as much as you want - I don't care. But as soon as you say or do something against my family, you will pay for it. Do you understand me?"

The talk of the hare ended and all that was left from him were some quiet curses but despite that came a light nodding from him. He knew that he couldn't do anything in his current position. Nick had the advantage and that angered him even more.

"I don't care if you like it or not, but everyone in this burrow besides you is family for me? So try it and I will show another side of me, okay?" said Nick.

Another short node from Trevor..

"And now, we will leave this burrow like two civilized mammals, alrighty?"

Nick stood up, still with the hare in custody, as Nathan walked besides him and asked, "Do you need help Nick? I could bring him out for you?"

"Thanks Nate but this is something I have to do. Please take care of Bonnie, okay buddy?" replied Nick and looked over to Bonnie. The lady of the house was still trembling but Nathan bowed down to her and asked with a heartwarming smile, "Are you okay Mrs. Hopps?"

Bonnie was still a bit dazzled but the friendly appearance of Nathan could sooth her, at least to a curtain degree.

Nathan walked her slowly to the rest of the group but turned a last time around and asked, "Nick, the last thing you said to Trevor… do you mean it? You know...the one with the family…?"

Nick was almost with the hare at the exit of the living hall, as he stopped. He didn't turned around, he just stood still for a moment and replied, "Every word, Nathan."

Both mammals walked in the entry hall a turn and Nick took at first Trevor's luggage which consists basically just of Trevor's backpack and directed him a stairway down to the floor beneath their current position. As soon as the two were alone, started Trevor with talking. But it was no longer the insecure talk, he used before all of this craziness started.

"You know they will never accept you two."

"Really? I thought they would celebrate us, made a parade to our honor, maybe they even would name a holiday after us – I thought of the big 'Pred-Prey-Day'."

"You really think you are funny, don't you?"

"Wrong, I am funny. You have just no sense of humor."

"Maybe… but my time to laugh will come…"

"Since when are you such an asshole Trevor? And since when do you give such villain like answers?"

"Since...ever. I just tried to come closer to Judy."

"Well, that plan failed perfectly."

"How should I know that she is so stubborn and irrational?"

"Mmh, let me think? I would say… everyone who knows her, could tell you!"

Trevor kept mumbling to himself but didn't said anything out loud for the moment.

The Hopps home was basically a maze but Nick accomplished to get most of the tunnels into his head. And Nick had an idea where Judy was at the moment and of course would he let Trevor not out of the burrow to let him run right into her again. From the outside it maybe looked like the burrow had just one entry but this was gravely wrong, it had multiple entries on multiple floors but most of them are hidden, some are closed, some can only be opened from the inside but all had one in common – in case of using them you needed a master key. Two weeks ago had Judy and Nick her last stay here at the Hopps home, on which Jimmy, Stew, Bonnie, Jessica, Cathy and of course Judy gave him one of the ten existing keys. He refused at first but his bunny could convince him to keep it. With this, he had basically access to all rooms in the Hopps home and all the entries.

Nick understand how big this honor was, he was with that basically part of the family. They trusted him, a fox, so much that he could come and go at any day and night time, without anyone noticing. Still caught in his own thoughts, started Trevor again to speak.

"Very sad, don't you think Nick?"

"What do you mean Trevor?"

"That you can't give her, what she really wants."

"Oh I forgot, you are the one to ask, when it is about understanding women."

"Not really no,... But one thing is even clear to me…"

Trevor turned around as much as he could and looked with a dark smile into Nick's face, "One day, maybe even far in the future she wants to have children and that is something even you can't accomplish. No matter which trick you use or whom you know, it will not help you. And then she will finally understand and leave…"

Nick had enough and pressed the hare hard against the wall of the burrow. A deep and aggressive growl came from his throat. He wanted to hurt him but a voice in his head kept him from doing so. As clear as day he could hear her voice and slowly she said to him, 'Nick, you are better than this.'

He lowered the pressure against the hare and tried to spoke calm and collected to him.

"Judy and I, we both know what we have to endure, we both chose this of our own free will. Because we have something, you wouldn't understand."

"Oh let me guess...love? How romantic…"

"Forget it. Why do I tell you this in the first place?"

With the hare in custody walked both through the dark tunnels and Nick recognized how Trevor tried to slow down, his view was, because of the darkness, very limited. But like always had Nick no problem with the dark. After 5 minutes of walk they reached a little door, where they stopped and Nick opened them with the key he got from his new family. But besides this key, were about 20 other keys hanging on his keyring, one was clearly for his apartment but the others...something he had to tell Judy sometime...there were way too many mysteries in the last 17 years in his life to clear them all at once. But he wanted to, one at a time.

"Here,..., " said Nick and let go of the hare, Trevor stumbled into the white and almost complete darkness of this december afternoon. Nick held his backpack in his paw and waited that he would take it. Still filled with anger snatched Trevor the backpack out of Nick's paw and walked slowly into the night. But shortly before he reached the little garden door, he turned around and said to Nick.

"One day Wilde, she will be mine and just mine. Do you hear me fox?"

"Just over my dead body, Trevor." repeated the fox cold.

"Oh, no no no. Not your dead body...you will suffer for what you did today. Death would be too nice for you. Believe me, you will die as the freak you are," said Trevor with a weird smile on his face.

"Really? I always thought I would die in bed, doing it with Judy. That would be a nice death."

"You always need to have the last word?"

Grinning looked Nick at the hare and said just, "Yes."

Trevor heard the words of the fox, shook his head and walked right into the darkness of the evening.

The snow started slowly to fall on the ground in front of the red fox and he watched it. Trevor was long gone but he kept looking after him. In the distance he could see the main part of BunnyBurrow with its lights and smoking chimneys. It looked peaceful.

He stood there for several minutes but decided to go back and join the others. Carefully he closed the door and locked it tight.

The walk back to main hall, didn't took even 5 minutes for him. He knew where he had to go and entered the hall in the near of the fireplace, where Elliot sat and thought about something. Both mammals nodded just shortly at each other but Elliot raised his paw smiled at Nick and gave him thumb up. Nick chuckled and went on, he understood what Elliot wanted to tell him.

Judy was still not here, whether could Nick not smell her nor could he see her. Without hesitation, he went to his guitar took it and walked back to the main entry of the burrow. The rest of the group was rather surprised about the appearance of Nick and Stella asked what everyone had in mind, " Hey Nick, what is with Trevor?"

Nick stood still and turned with a smile around to the group, it was time for some soothing words from the hustler, "Well, we had a little discussion, he said he was sorry and would now go home. So no more worries for all the bunnies in this burrow, the mean hare is gone and now please excuse myself, I have to comfort my bunny."

A smile appeared on the faces of the little bunnies and Bonnie exhaled deeply as she heard that Trevor was finally out of her home. But the rest of the group exchanged views with each other, they had a bad feeling but kept themselves to themselves.

Nick turned around and walked with his guitar in the paw in direction of the exit. He tried to get rid of Trevor's words but they echoed still through his head and he knew, they would do for a while. But he did as good as he can, to ban them in the back of his mind, he had now more important things to do. And the most important thing was sitting in this moment in front of the burrow crying and freezing. Judy needed him and she needed him know.

Nick opened the door and walked slowly over to the old oak tree, from where he could hear a slight sobbing.

 **Trevor**

Since four hours sat Trevor in the 'Tipsy Bunny', the only bar of Bunny Burrow and the only place that was still open on the 24th of December. Wooden interior, a huge mirror behind the bar, that reflected every car light that drove by and a lot of old chairs, tables and a barkeeper, that seemed to work here since the town was founded.

Trevor sat alone on a table in the backside of the bar but he was not alone. Five old bunnies with almost no more teeth in their mouth laughed, joked and played cards, as if today was a day than anyone else. They sat on a round table in front of the bar and smoked happily their pipes.

The barkeeper, an old and grey bunny, who lost a part of his left ear, came over to Trevor and asked, "Do you need anything boy?"

With an annoyed gaze looked the hare up to the barkeeper and replied, "Yeah, another shot of this carrot booze."

A grunt came from the barkeeper but he did as he was told and gave the hare another shot. He turned around and wanted to go back to his original place behind the bar, as Trevor spoke again, "Do you know what…. I changed my mind. Give me the bottle, I think that should do it, for the rest of the night."

Still grunting, replied the barkeeper, "Boy, I think you had enough."

But Trevor didn't give in, he held 50 dollars up to the old bunny and said, "First thing, I'm not your boy and second you asked what I wanted. And I wanted this bottle of carrot booze in your paw and not your goddamn opinion old man, okay?"

Slightly angered stood the barkeeper the bottle on the table of the hare with a loud banging noise and took the 50 bucks. He was walking back to the bar as Trevor saw that he was limping, probably an old wound. He was shouting a last advice to Trevor over his shoulder, "We close in one hour, keep it in mind, boy." Trevor heard that he word boy, was especially highlighted from the old mammal's voice.

Trevor took the shot glass into his paw and watched the liquid floating around in it, before he pressed it against his muzzle and poured it into his mouth. It burned of course but he liked it, the pain and the brizzle feeling in his nose, shortly before he drank the shoot. Not tired but mentally exhausted closed Trevor his eyes and leaned onto his right paw to relax a little bit and let the alcohol sink into him.

Not even three minutes later and the door to the little bar opened. The laughter and talk between the old bunnies seemed to die instantly, as they saw what for a guest was arriving. The five paid their drinks, gave a little tip and left without saying another word, they knew that problems arrived in Bunny Burrow. The newcomer talked to the barkeeper but so loud, that everyone left in the bar could listen to it.

"Hello, Sir. Say did you have a white hare in here?"

As soon as Trevor heard the question, he became curious. What did the mammal want from him? Who was that? He couldn't tell. But he opened his eyes and waited till the new guest arrived at his desk.

"Yeah, he is in the back. What do you want from him?" asked the barkeeper.

"Let's just say, that this is none of your business old man and to forget that he or myself was ever here, take this." said the guest. He had fun with the talk, you could easily hear it from his voice.

"Bu...But...that's too….What do you want me to do for this?" asked the old barkeeper with fear in his voice.

"Nothing, just leave and in an hour or so, you close your bar. We will long be gone till that happens, okay?" explained the guest.

"But, but...my bar?" the old buck wasn't sure what he should do. Obviously he got bribed but for which reason, thought Trevor. They were here almost at the end of the world. Nothing ever happens here.

"Listen you can have it and live, happily ever after or we can settle things like this…," said the guest still with too much joy in his voice and showed something to the old barkeeper. The old buck reacts almost immediately and tried to walk out of the bar, as fast as he could. Life or money, that was an easy joice, thought Trevor.

The guest walked to Trevor's table and stood himself in front of the white hare. It was a black wolf, in fine cloth, black suit, long coat for the winter. He grinned and exposed with it some of his pure white teeths.

"May, I take a seat here?" asked the wolf.

He nodded. The alcohol has left Trevor indifferent to the things that happened around him. His head still leaned on his paw and he watched the black wolf taking of his coat and trying to sat down on a chair, that was slightly to small for him.

"How are you and what do you want?"

"Oh, me...you can call me Trogon and why I'am here? Well I would say because of the same reasons as you are here."

"What?"

"Say, can I have a shoot from your booze? I had a long and cold day, ya know?"

Trevor confused as he was about the turn of events, made a little but characteristic movement of his paw, so that the black wolf could take a mouthful of the liquid. But Trogon, or how he wanted to be called, took the whole bottle to his mouth and took two or three big gulps. Finished with it, he placed the now half empty bottle back on the table and exclaimed seemingly happy.

"Wuh, you longears know how destille the shit out of those orange colored vegetables. "exclaimed the wolf.

"Are you done now? What do you want?"

"Sorry, I'm just every time fascinated, what you can all use to make booze from it. One time I even drunk booze from onions, crazy I tell you…," the black wolf seemed lost in his own thoughts and Trevor became slowly angered about this stupid behaviour and he was actual the drunk one here.

"What? Did you came all the way from Zootopia, to bribe a barkeeper and to drink my booze? I don't think so."

The black wolf leaned back on his way to small chair, crossed his legs and said smiling, "Okay, let's talk about business and don't worry I will make it short. I want that you work for us as a snitch in the police. What do you say?"

"Why should I do that?" asked Trevor confused.

"Because we can provide you something, that no one can."

"What? Money, power or drugs? I think that can every damn dealer or mobster in the city."

"No, we can provide you something more...personal. We can give you what you want, to our fullest interest and to yours." said Trogon smiling, while he played with the bottle and let one of his finger run over the glas.

Tired from the conversation, massaged Trevor his eyes and thought about the bus to Harrington, which would come in 40 minutes and brought him back to an empty and cold house, where he was alone with his thoughts and some more alcohol.

"Okay...and what can you give me, what no one else can?" asked Trevor.

"Judy Hopps."

Trevor's eyes went wide, as he heard what the wolf proposed to him with a wide smile.

"Yeah, you heard right, the hope of Zootopia, all yours, as long as you wish and of course you can do with her whatever you want." explained Trogon and ended his talk with a blink of his eye.

"What?...Who do you think am I? A good damn freak?"

Trevor had enough, he put on his jacket and tried to leave but as tried to walk past the wolf, he was holding him up. The paw of the wolf was wrapped around Trevor's arm. Still smiling looked Trogon up to Trevor and said, " I know when I see a mentally distorted mammal like myself. You have no real interest in money, power or such things, no. And you don't want her because you love her. You don't want to sit on Christmas eve under the tree with her, singing carols, laughing and drinking eggnog. You my friend want to own her, to dominate her,... to hurt her. Work with us and she is yours, just yours and no one else."

Trevor stood there confused and with widened eyes, he couldn't believe what the wolf was talking there.

A loud exhaling echoed through the room and Trogon was handing a card over to Trevor. It contained a phone number.

"Listen buddy, I am generous today, I will give you two weeks to decide. Call this number if you made your decision and speak on the voicemail, just a yes or a no. I think you can differ which stands for what. And now, I need to catch my train back into the civilization," said Trevor and put on his coat. But he didn't left before he took another sip of the booze, in front of him.

"Ahh, I love that shit. Well then, happy Holidays Mr. Smith." were the last words Trevor heard before Trogon left without looking a last time around. Trevor stood still there, at the table, with the card in his paw. He took the bottle and drunk the rest of the booze in one gulp.

His mind was rotating like crazy and this time not just because of the alcohol. He went out of the bar and stood there for a short moment in the neonlight of the advertising board of the 'Typsy Bunny', looking at the card, while a slight smile appeared on his face.

* * *

Sorry, this chapter took me longer than expected. Damned Christmas Holidays and New Years Eve. Anyhow, the story continues and as another big announcement, I will also publish multiple other stories around my main story, those contain mainly OC's or backstory to my characters. I even tried to work out the world around Zootopia a little bit more in my stories. Under every new chapter of 'Two of a Kind' will now appear a list of upcoming side stories , with a little bit of explanation and the progress of the actual side stories. I will try to release those alternating to my main story. As ever, comments, reviews and private messages are welcome. Every side story which has a title, has also a complete story, well at least in my head. I just need the time to write it down.

And I would be glad about someone who wants to help me with a first read and checking everything. Or in other words I need an editor and would be glad if someone would help me.

Operation Foxcatcher: Chapter 1 / ? - Plays 32 years before 'Two of a Kind' starts and explains a part of the past of Nick's father - better known as Kingfisher

The Good, the Bad, The Beautiful: coming

Among Wolves: coming

The North Remembers: coming

Diary of the Wild: coming

A Team of Ice and Fire: coming


	20. How to Calm a Bunny

18\. Burn The Mistletoes - Part III

 **Judy**

Tears streaming down on Judy's face, while she passed by her mother and several of her siblings. She could hear how they shouted after her, but talking was no option for her at the moment. Loneliness, that was her only aim and she knew where to find that. And she knew only one mammal could really calm her mind and brought her back to Christmas, because right now she was sinking in an emotional black hole and she didn't knew how to outrun it.

Still in rage she opened the front door to the burrow and run over to the huge oak tree, which stood in front of the Hopps burrow but laid now in complete darkness. She walked around it and searched for the big root, which raised over time out of the soil and made a perfect seat – at least for little mammals. This seat was hers, is hers and will always be hers to think about the world or to cry. In the past she cried here over a lost race against another pupil even if he was a leopard, a bad mark in school or a lecturing from her mother or during an argument with Jessica, all things that compared to now seemed stupid and trivial.

With a little jump reached Judy the root, sat herself down and laid her head in her paws, letting the tears flow how they came. Her head raced and she couldn't get a clear thought, no matter how much she tried. All that filled her mind were the last twenty minutes, which she run in a loop, over and over again, until nothing made sense anymore.

And she knew, it wasn't her fault that the things happened like they happened but why did it felt like that? Or was it? Every thought that came to her, vanished seconds later into thin air, like a warm breath on a cold winter day. Why did she felt so disappointed about herself? She hadn't kissed Trevor, he leaned onto her and took with force what wasn't his own. But did that really mattered? Nick saw it, he saw everything and now he was the one who dealt with the whole situation alone.

"I fear no criminal, no matter how strong or fearful he is but the upcoming talk with Nick...oh god for the first time I want to run away...," said Judy to herself. She couldn't imagine that there will be any good outcome...not after this. He said once he could forgive her everything but this? She couldn't forgive herself, how should he do it? No, that wasn't possible, she broke the one thing she never wanted to break. They both sworn that something like this wouldn't happen and now…

Judy reminded herself of the academy, were Nick was so hurt about her bet with Trevor and how he begged her to never do that again, he begged her. He who never demanded anything for himself…and with the same clearness as a winter morning sky in Bunny Burrow, she knew that she must have lost him. Yes, she must and there was no other conclusion than that.

She had by now crossed her arms and clenched her strong paws into her upper arms, all of this to counter the internal pain with external. But it didn't helped. And Judy couldn't know that it wouldn't help, she never was in such a situation nor was she until now at a point where the fear to lose the most important thing in her life would be so overwhelming, that every other emotion just disappeared.

Her eyes must be by now completely red from the tears but she didn't cared at all.

All around Judy, laid just darkness and silence, through the cold night of the of December echoed the silent sobbing of a little grey doe, who regretted what happened.

"You are just a stupid bunny, Judy Hopps, nothing more...the others would be better without you…especially Nick," said Judy to herself not expecting any answer.

"And you really believe that, my dear?"

Shocked and surprised about the answer she received, turned Judy around to the source. It was Emilia who stood at the tree, not even two meters away from her and chewed smiling on a little piece of wood. Pretty fast cleared Judy her eyes, corrected her fur and tried to sound not so tear-stained.

Her mind slowly wandered from the fresh past onto the present. Judy saw her chewing on this over the whole day but didn't asked her what it was, despite the fact that it definitely had woken her interest. The older vixen sat herself directly besides her daughter in law and stretched her open paw to Judy. In it laid one piece of the sticks.

"Try it, my dear. It doesn't solve your problems but it will definitely rise your mood," said Emilia and nodded with a smile to her paw.

Still unsure, took Judy the little stick and put it into her own paw. She rolled the little piece over and over, not sure if she should try it.

A light chuckle came from Emilia, "Just start to chew on one end, as soon as you don't taste anything anymore, bite it off, spit it out and go on to the next part."

Judy started to nibble on one end but carefully and just as Emilia explained, spread a well-known flavour in her mouth but she couldn't lay her paw on it, from where she knew it. A short smile brighten Judy's face but as fast as it came, it was gone. And all that remained were the fear and the doubts.

She had suddenly no more interest in the little piece of wood and held the stick between her paws, not knowing what she should do with it. Judy's mind was again back to the events, turning them over and over. But she came to one clear conclusion, she needed assistant, she needed to talk but all of this.

Emilia, who sat directly besides Judy and saw how the bunny was torturing herself with her thoughts, how wave after wave of sadness and tears rolled over her face, decided to let her speak her mind. Judy needed this talk desperately.

"I screwed up...I...I disappointed Nick...I even broke the vow...He will leave me and that just because I didn't wanted that someone has to be alone on Christmas! Because of my stupid sense of justice…," said Judy and shook her head. Her paws were still playing with the little piece of wood, but by now it was twisted and broken on multiple places and so no longer usable, which made her even sadder.

"And to all of that, I left him all alone, he had to handle my problems and endure it… all by himself. I was everytime the strong one, the one who tried to handle the problems of others, tried to help them, tried to protect them...and now...a stupid kiss and I can't keep it together…."

Judy's paws clasped onto each other with heavy force and Emilia feared that Judy could hurt herself, if she would go on like that. Carefully laid the older vixen her paw on Judy's and broke her just for a short moment free from the circle of thoughts that seemed to go on and on in her mind, like a never ending roundabout where she not knew which exit to take because all of them looked like dead ends. Immediately looked the bunny to her. A warm smile came from the older vixen and somehow it soothed Judy and she relaxed her muscles, especially those in her paws. Judy didn't know what it was, maybe the red fur, or the the eyes or it was a combination of all, but something in those foxes made her calm. Crazy, because biologically she should feel only one thing and that was fear but fear was the feeling she had if Nick wasn't in her near – maybe she was really crazy...but who could say something for sure.

Emilia caressed Judy's paws and started slowly to speak,"Judith my dear, please never do the mistake and confuse strength with weakness. To be strong means to stand your ground in times, when someone needs you and that despite the fact what other say. Yes, you are right we didn't liked that you invited Trevor but it was the right thing to do. Weakness, however lets you look away from those who need help or can't help themselves and what happened afterwards isn't your fault, you couldn't know what he had in mind," said Emilia.

"M-maybe...but...but Nick...he had to deal with my…," tried Judy to reply but Emilia didn't let her finish her sentence. Calm but stoic said the older vixen.

"Stop it Judy, the times of your problems and his problems are over. His problems are now equally yours and vis versa. You share one life from here on, one path. I mean what would you do, if Nick get into trouble because of his past? And by all the holy mammals that here are, we both beautys know that this will happen someday, right," said Emilia teasingly to Judy and gave her a wink.

A smile appeared on Judy's face because this was an easy question for her to answer, despite all the others that ran through her mind. Her gaze was still fixed on her paws but her eyes were now much clearer.

"I would stand by his side, no matter what."

"See, and you already did something important for him. Something where you stood by his side and gave him in the right moment a little push in the right direction," replied Emilia. Judy looked at her, how she sat besides her with legs crossed, her left paw on her knee and her right paw still on Judy's clasped ones. A real Lady thought Judy in this moment, unlike herself. She could try to made herself pretty and style herself up but in the end she was still the little boyish bunny from the countryside. Steward Hopps didn't called his daughter for nothing 'Jude the dude', a name which Judy hated since the first time it was loudly spoken on a hot summer day where she got into fist fight, with the three rebelish neighbour kids and won against them...of course. 'You still have a way to go, to reach this Judy,' said she internally to herself and took a last look at the red vixen. Her mind slowly went back to Emilia's last sentence but she was still confused about it.

"I don't understand…," said Judy but Emilia still smiled softly to her.

"You were the one who brought him back. Without you he would still be on the streets and would stand at point 19 o'Clock in front of my door with me right behind it. Not knowing what to do, until everything becomes to stupid for him and he leaves fifteen minutes later…," Emilia's expression darkened but she kept her smile…, at least she tried.

"You...you knew he was there? But didn't opened?"

Melancholically went Emilia on,"Like I told you Judy, never confuse strength and weakness...was I strong enough to open the door for my own son? Could I overcome my on grief? No and there is not one excuse to justify my behaviour. But you...you helped someone, you didn't really knew or liked, just because it was the right thing. Yes, there will be mammals, who will take your help but never repay you, maybe even stab you in the back but this will not be the majority. So keep on doing, what you are doing because this is your way to make this world a better place."

"I...I still don't understand, you were so close to him? You knew he was there…? But still…"

"Well Judy, we foxes are sometimes a stubborn folk and...mhm...and sometimes it doesn't matter if you miss someone by a few inches or some miles. A missed chance, is a missed chance."

Emilia patted Judy a last time on her now relaxed but still clasped pair of paws, stood up and was ready to go. But turned a last time around to her.

"Judy, just because an old vixen looks or acts strong, doesn't mean that she really is. And not every small bunny, who stumbled once for example over a kiss, is really weak. Sometimes we stumble upon the smallest stones."

Judy was in deep thoughts about the things Emilia told her. But in her mind, was still something she needed to tell her, something that was important. The red vixen was now almost gone, her footsteps became more and more silent, as she walked back to the burrow. But as soon as Judy spoke, Emilia stood still in the darkness.

"I don't think that you are weak Emilia...not at all."

Judy couldn't say from where, but she knew that Emilia was still smiling but this time she was amused about the last statement from the bunny.

"And sometimes...even the smartest bunny, can not or will not see the truth."

Strong, weak or dumb, she didn't cared at the moment how someone called her behaviour, the result was here and it was awful. It was then as it struck her...he knew now about them. He knew that they were a couple. And what was even more problematic, this would end their partnership in the police before it even had begun.

A deep sigh came from the bunny and one question raised in her, how could a day, that started so good, yes even proceeded to be great over the course of the day, turn into something so terrible in such a short amount of time? Judy leaned her head against the tree and looked up into the partly cloudy sky. Since her night with Nick on the roof of the academy, it somehow soothed her to watch the stars, like in her days of school. Slowly, wandered her view over the immense amount of blinking and shining dots around the northern hemisphere. With one closed eye and stretched out right paw, she sat there on the root and went with her stretched index finger and thumb over the parts of the sky that were not covered with clouds. Star for star she tried to remember all the names she learned in the school's astronomy course for the constellations and their members. Two years she had taken the class, one of the rare occasions where she not did something, just to become a police officer. No this was just for her, she took the class because she loved it and brought her joy. Jessica and Jimmy always teased and asked her, that one day when she had become a police officer and would also be a 'star' in Zootopia, which complicated and old name she would get. Smiling, she always replied to them with 'Aequitas' but they never understood it. But she did and that was enough.

Slowly she went through the names she could remember and compared it with the stars she could see. There was the constellation Lyra with its brightest star Vega, Gemini with the twin star Pollux, Taurus with the orange giant Aldebaran, Ursa Major with Alioth (aka big dipper) and Ursa Minor (aka little dipper) with...Polaris.

The North Star...

Again and without any control started again tears to run over Judy's cheeks and with it came a flood of memories, how she and Nick laid on the roof of the academy, cheek on cheek, watching a clear night sky and not like tonight covered with clouds. How Judy told him about about the star Polaris and how he, Nick, was her anchor in this crazy world. And now?

Judy pressed her paws against her face, to stop the tears but it didn't worked...until.

"I didn't knew, that it was allowed for beautiful bunnies to cry on Christmas?"

A slight chuckle escaped Judy's throat and Nick knew that he hit the right nerv. Smiling he leaned on the tree besides her, with his guitar in his paw. Another thing that seemed to run in the Wilde family...appearing out of the blue. Again she didn't even recognized that someone came to her and she didn't even thought that he would do.

"Nick, I…," started Judy but Nick interrupted her with a smile. A smile! No mean one, no sarcastic one, no, it was one of those heartwarming smiles he gave her every time she needed one. And of course she needed one right now but she was not sure if she deserved it. Right now she wasn't even sure, if she deserved anything but rejection from him. But rejection, didn't seemed to be anything Nick cared for tonight.

The fox didn't get irritated from his bunny, not even for a second. He sat himself besides her and started to tune his guitar, the strings were a little distorted from the cold and needed a little treatment.

With confusion, watched Judy him doing his thing in his usual calm way but Judy couldn't believe what she saw. 'Scream at me', she thought, 'argue with me, say anything but don't stay quiet, please!'

But Nick kept just smiling and working on his guitar, he had other plans with her. Judy started another attempt to clear the things on her mind, "Nick, please…."

"Hush, Judy. In some minutes we can talk, okay. But now...Here please hold this...thank you," and without waiting for a reply, he pressed Judy a wooden rattle with a lot of bells in her paws. Now even more confused tried the grey doe to understand what was going on but she couldn't get what he tried to do.

Nick seemed to be ready and gave her a small sign to sit on his thigh. Just two little hits and a smile, to make her understand that he wanted her nearby him.

"Nick, really… I don't think...that this is the right time to...NICHOLAS!"

Judy turned slightly away but Nick didn't accepted this, he rolled with his eyes and smoothly slide with his right paw between tree and bunny, which she didn't realized immediately. Only when Nick lifted her up by her butt, her mouth escaped a squeal of his name. By now she was light enough for him and Nick trained enough to even carry her around on one paw, at least for a short time. Carefully he let the bunny with the red head sit on his thigh and looked how she reacted. Of course tried Judy to avoid direct eye contact with Nick. 'But why,' thought the grey doe ,'should she do that? It's not like he did something, he never did before or like he crossed any specific line, because something like this didn't existed between them.'

But as soon as Judy wanted to look at him and tried it again with the excusing talk, Nick laid his paw on the back of Judy's head, drawed her close to him and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"And now hush carrots, talk is for later… and don't forget to use this rattle! I prepared this song for a while. Even Stella can sing it completely from her mind by now."

Judy wanted for a short moment to reply to him and had already opened her mouth but thought otherwise and turned it into a smile. He prepared it, which meant IT was a new one and presumably also a Christmas song. 'Let him sing Judy, he just wanted it for you and you know how much you like it, to hear him singing, don't you?,' said the little voice in the back of Judy's head. She exhaled a last time and nodded over to her fox.

"I think you will get the beat, Miss Hopps," said Nick chuckling and began to hit rhythmic, single strings on his guitar. Not long and Judy joined him by swinging the rattle to the irresistible four quarter beat.

Not that she wondered but of course he had chosen a song with lines almost perfectly matching to their situation and never had he missed her taste when it came to songs. A thought came the bunny, 'If he ever had written songs on his own? I bet he could...but he never said he had, I should definitely keep that in mind….'

 _I won't let you go through this year all alone._

 _And I think back through fall, and the summer,_

 _and how it changed everything._

 _Let's walk through snow in the winter,_

 _And forget about our troubles cause,_

Like always, found Judy some lines that just kept stuck in her mind. Lines of words, which she repeated over and over because of their meaning and how they sounded sung from the mouth of her fox. The old lady-killer…

 _I don't mean to hold on to your love for so long,_

 _But the feeling is right and nothing can go wrong._

Again she felt how tears gathered in her eyes but this time not because of some stupid hare she trusted a bit much, no this time it were just tears of joy, which ran over her smiling cheeks, gathering and falling down on her dress.

 _I hope there no ghost when I dream,_

 _Telling me to change everything they see._

But the best of all was for Judy the refrain, which she sung together with Nick right on the second repetition. Both mammals had by now just eyes for each other. Singing and looking into each others eyes, sat both in the darkness of this cold December night, not carrying if one mammal, a hundred or the whole world was watching them. And Judy understand that Nick was not mad at her, not at all. He never could be and realising this made her cry even more.

 _Christmas is coming, so don't buy me nothing._

 _I got what I wanted, I got what I needed._

 _And Christmas is coming, so don't buy me anything._

 _I got what I wanted, I got what I needed, it's you, it's you, it's you._

Nick ended the song and both lovers leaned onto each other to exchange a short but romantic kiss. But they didn't separated after this, no. Forehead on forehead and with closed eyes, sat the two lovebirds on the tree and enjoyed just for a little bit longer the togetherness.

But two minutes, more was not possible to endure for the bunny until she needed to talk to Nick, but the fox was again faster as the bunny, he knew her to good. Both still there, with heads tucked together and eyes closed as if they were sleeping, they began their needed conversation.

"Did you know that I always hated Mistletoes, Carrots?"

Judy chuckled and twitched amused with her by now red nose. Of course she understood, that he alluded to the incident with Trevor. Sarcastic she replied.

"Really? Why's that?"

"First, they are just damned parasites on trees, which I find pretty creepy. And second, you always seem to kiss the wrong mammals under them, I mean what is with your fox? Hello? Did you forget me? And I would say, the second point is especially for me a pretty strong one, because I don't want to see how someone misuses my bunny again, like today."

Again followed a chuckle from Judy but it died after some seconds. To Nick's relief she didn't started crying again, no. She wrapped her arms around Nick and took him into a tight hug. Her head over his left shoulder she whispered to him.

"Thank you Nick. I'm so glad, that you are not mad at me...I...I feared that you will leave me."

Nick, did the same like Judy and wrapped his arms around her, slowly grinning to her cute insecurity.

"Oh Carrots, believe me you can't get rid of me. I'm like a cockroach, a survival specialist and like Christmas - I will always come back, no matter what you do and girl I will always come back to you."

Another light chuckle from Judy, which echoed in Nick's left ear.

"I love you Nick"

"And, I love you Judy."

Three little words that meant the world to Judy and it was all gone, all the emotions, that flooded minutes ago her mind and which seemed now like flickering stars in the night, those which almost expired and vanished forever.

Anger, shame, weakness all of this gone, thanks to him. But Judy didn't thanked him, he would never accept it.

After sealing her words with a kiss, leaned Judy back and looked now more than happily at her fox. Relief was what stood now written on her face, relief that Nick would not leave her(now where she thought, with a clear mind about it, it really sounded stupid), relief that her holidays could now be more positive than she thought and her biggest relief of all Trevor was gone...for now. But it didn't took long before the next fears and thoughts came into her mind.

"What is if he talks about us?"

"I don't think that he will, Whiskers."

"Oookay...but what makes you so sure?"

Replied Judy, now way more relaxed but still concerned.

"Well…, let's call it hustler intuition."

Reading Nick, was by now one of Judy's fine trained skills. Not perfect but she thought from all the mammals out there should she be the best at reading him, beside his own mother and sister of course. She knew when he was lying, speaking the truth or like in this case, hiding something. It was not like she didn't trust him anymore, as soon as he kept something from her. She long knew, that she would never get every last secret out of him. For this, happened just too much in his life and probably would happen even more. And, where would be the fun in that, to knew somebody like a book completely from the first up to the last letter. Somehow Judy loved it to discover new sites from him and to a certain degree it also thrilled her. The known would bring just boredom over the time with it but the unknown...well this was a different story and so was Nick.

"So...you will not tell me, what he said to you."

"Sorry, this fox here, swore to protect your precious long ears from bullshit my dear and believe me, I will. Anyhow, most of his words were against me and I forget such babbling almost immediately, honey. So sorry, no chance."

"I think, I will find one day out, what he said to you today," said Judy grinning at Nick and for a short moment flashed liked a shadow over Nick's face. At least that was what Judy thought, it was difficult to say out here in the moonlight and all the clouds, which covered sometimes the only available lightsource. No, after some moments of observing him, she was sure that he changed his expression for a short moment. Whatever Trevor said to Nick, he didn't liked it, not one bit of it. But Judy also knew that she would get no more information out of this fox tonight.

So she jumped from the thigh of her fox, stretched her paws over her head until they replied with a light cracking sound and exhaled deeply.

"Okay Mr Wilde, time to go in."

Nick watched her the whole time and leaned with his paws and head on the head of his precious guitar, which stood on small root of the oak tree. Never would Nick stand his guitar directly on the snow, oh gosh no.

"Oh, where comes the sudden change, in such a beautiful night, Miss Hopps," he replied teasingly smiling.

"Easy Dr. Watson, I'm cold, I'm hungry and I want finally spend the holidays with my family. A good explanation for you?"

"A perfect explanation, Miss Holmes. Let's do this but first. Are you okay? Or are there still some strange thoughts, lingering in your mind?"

Smiling she replied," There was just one thought on my mind, that made me suffer and you showed my that it was stupid. You showed me that there isn't anything, with that you wouldn't let me got away with."

Playful raised Nick his paws in defense and replied, "Wowowo, hold there Missy. You got a large credit on my bank so, but you should be aware that today went a lot of hundred bucks down the drain."

Judy however, took him by his collar and drew him near to her. Her eyes half closed and a bright smile on her face.

"Maybe, I got something the bank wants from me...something...nice."

Dreamely she closed her eyes and gave him a kiss on the muzzle. Nick took himself back, smiled and replied in his soothing voice.

"Well, we have to see. There seems to be some value in your...mhmm...lets call it...mhmm...product. But at first I have to check it's quality again. Miss Hopps, if you were so nice…"

Judy giggled and drew him again close to her. Another long and romantic kiss should follow. This time she ended it and did what was normally his signature move, quick she licked him over the nose and smiled cheekly. Something he repaid her with an heartwarming smile.

"I must say Miss Hopps, first class quality what you have there as a 'product'. I think I will do the bargain with you."

"Fine and now dinner my dear fox."

Without wasting any more precious minutes, grabbed Judy the paw of her fox and walked slowly over the yard which was momentarily enlightened by the moon but this could change any second now.

"Your paw is cold Judy," with serious concern in his voice, grabbed Nick Judy's paw tighter and tried to warm it.

"Well, I'm a while out here, you know?"

"Sorry, I should have been fas…auuu. That hurts...mean bunny."

A quick hit of Judy's left fist found perfectly it's aim into Nick's left sides. The movement of the bunny was fast, too fast for the fox to dodge it in time.

"No apologizing, you came back and soothed me great. So stop minding it so much."

Nick nodded back and opened for her the door to the burrow...of course he did, the old gallant. Judy saw that his last view went over the yard, the fields and the surrounding area, as if he looked out for something or… someone. Whatever it was, he looked a bit frightened and that was something, that created an unpleasant feeling in Judy's chest, just for short moment but she knew she would remember that feeling for a while.

 **Jessica**

"You're losing Nathan…," said Jessica almost singing and with a dirty grin on her face to the wolf, who sat directly on the other side of the table. And Nathan knew he did, it was not like he assumed he could win any of this games, he just played because of the company of the others.

Since his earliest childhood, whenever he played games, which were mostly based on luck, he knew he would lose. It was like a strange natural law, that said whenever there is luck involved in Nathan's life, fate would always chose the worst possible outcome for him. Stella even said one time to him, that he should bet everyday against his own life and he would live forever.

There were only two times were he won in a game and all events that happened afterwards proved him one thing, he could either have luck in a game or luck in life, but both at the same time? Never, no way and not in a million years. Games were for him always an indicator, if something bad would happen soon to him or the mammals close to him. Not pretty accurate or reliable but for him it worked until now. And how he looked back, at the great dinner from just hours ago, how the day and the last month turned out and how he looked around the table with all the new and friendly faces, he decided smiling to himself, that he could lose forever in this games, as long as life turns to the better, like it did now.

"Of course, he does Jess! I never saw him win. Not one game...and we played a lot in the academy, right Nate," replied Elliot who sat beside Nathan and poked him grinning with his elbow in the side. The black wolf replied with an evil eye over to Elliot but the beaver was not in the slightest impressed, he knew Nathan by now good enough, he wouldn't get angry over such a stupid game of cards. Elliot also remembered, that he never didn't saw the wolf angry at all, not one time. Determined speaking to others, yes. But Angry? No, that wasn't one of Nathan's traits, that made him to the guy he was. Calm, sometimes shy and always trying to mediate in a conflict.

And with this, he was the total opposite of Stella, who could easily be angered if she was with the wrong mammals and the only one who could really calm her down was Patricia. Together were Nathan and Stella almost an ideal team. Ying and Yang, you could say and that not just from their colors. But this was something they had prove in the future.

Nathan looked a last time into his cards but didn't saw any way to win or at least to start this game somehow. He was still holding all ten cards from the beginning and that after nine rounds. A deep exhale was all he did, but his gaze wandered slowly over the now almost empty hall. Amanda the mother of the four little Rose-siblings sat in front of a large group of bunnies, under the huge Christmas tree and seemed to tell them a story from a book, from time to time she showed the little ones pictures from it and pointed on some of them to explain something. After some seconds, Nathan recognized that between the smaller bunnies, sat also one fox or to be precisely – Patricia. Nick's sister had three smaller bunnies on her lap and talked happily with each of them. Nathan, couldn't keep it together, he had just to smile over the cute scene in front of him. A vixen in a Christmas dress sitting in a sea of fluff and cuteness, enjoying with them the story Amanda told them.

On the other side of the hall, where you could easily take a look into the open kitchen area, stood Emilia in her full cooking outfit, already preparing the big meal for tomorrow, swinging her knives and cutting all sorts of vegetables into smaller pieces. Around her a chaos of maybe teen different bunnies at the age of maybe fourteen, which she had recruited to help her. But before she could even start with this, she had a long and exhausting discussion with Bonnie, which the older vixen just won because Jessica interfered and explained her mother that it would be a great thing, if she could take a little bit time for herself and rest. At first, the older doe wasn't delighted to share her kitchen with another female mammal, which she didn't know to well. But Emilia's calm and soothing voice, plus the promise that her honor as a cook wouldn't allow it to make a mess out of Bonnie's kitchen, changed the mind of the old doe. Well, maybe not completely but enough to let Emilia made the banquets, for this years Christmas dinner on the next day. Slowly faded Nathan's view back to the table in front of him.

Jimmy grinned and ended this round of carousel, by getting rid of the last card in his paw. Celebrating his little victory by giving Cathy, who slept on his shoulder, a little smooch on the head. The black doe smiled dreamly, as a reaction of the gesture from her mate but continued to snore softly and snuggled herself more into Jimmy's site.

Judy, Elliot, Nathan, Stella, Bonnie and Jessica threw their cards back into the middle of table, most of them sighed over the lost round but the lady of the burrow took the numbers from every mammal which played, added them to the last rounds and smiled almost apologizing to Nathan, after she ended the math. Somehow she started to like the black wolf after the first fear about him disappeared.

"I'm sorry Nathan, but your still the last one."

"I'm sure this is just a little streak of bad luck," said Stew who collected the cards from each participant and shuffled them for the next round.

"Yeah, a streak that holds onto me for 19 years now," replied Nathan sarcastic and asked, "Why do we play this game again?"

"Well son, this is an old Hopps Tradition, that we repeat now for… how long do we do this Bonnie," asked Stew his wife, who just rolled her eyes and replied, "Oh Stew, I wouldn't call it a tradition, it's not that we played for centuries... And Nathan, we play cards on the 24th of december now for 10 years and this was, believe it or not, Judith's idea, in the first place."

Nick, who sat till now quiet besides his bunny, looked quite puzzled at her with the new information in his mind.

"Carrots, since when do you want to play card games? Also one, in which you are so bad, I mean you are almost as bad as Nathan and he has just no luck. And don't try to talk yourself out of this, you are bad, I saw your cards. You could have won at least every second game and be in leading position by now," said Nick and grinned over to Judy. Slowly turned the doe her head to the fox. He saw just now that she looked angered at him.

"First thing my 'friend', I found it boring that everybody was just laying around after the evening meal and waited till the sleep began. So I started to play this game together with Jess and Jimmy…,"

Jessica who had her head laid on her left paw, interrupted her sister and said,"...and till today she never won more than two games…"

"Thanks sis…," replied Judy grumpy, but her sister just smiled back at her, blew her a kiss with two fingers and added smiling, "For you every time Judy."

"Anyhow...after some time Pop joined, then dad, mum and some other older bunnies. But till today was there a steady core group of Jimmy, Jessica, myself, mum and dad…," continued Judy and was again interrupted but this time because of Nick.

"What happened to your grandpa, Carrots? Did he...you know…," asked Nick and scratched his neck in the last part of the sentence, feeling slightly uncomfortable with this question.

"Oh...ehm no his fine...at least physically. But since my grandma died, he don't want to leave his part of the burrow. Jess brings him everyday his meals, but most of the time he stays in and waits…," said Judy but looked a bit down.

"Waiting…,for what?" asked Elliot, with noticeable confusion in his voice. But Judy just shrugged and replied as honest as she could, "I don't know...but if I would guess, I would say the right mammal, to get him out of his solitude."

A minute passed where nobody spoke, silence was the only thing that was left, besides the sound of Stew, who kept shuffling the cards. As soon as he started to dealing out the cards, Judy's eyes closed halfly.

"WAIT!"

Shouted Judy and turned to Nick, pointing her finger directly at her fox.

"You!"

Nick raised his paws in defense and took on a dazzled look, not knowing what his better half wanted from him or what he did this time wrong. She even stood up and stand before him on the bank, to look down on him.

"Me?"

"Yes, you! You distracted me again, to change the topic!"

"What? Carrots, I would never...okay let's say I didn't do it this time, promise!"

The group around them started to smile about the little show of the two lovebirds. Stella exclaimed half loud to the others, but hearable for everyone on the table, "...like an old married couple." and shook her head.

A chuckle went through the group of mammals sitting on the table.

Piercing eyes looked now at the fox and he knew, escape was not an option. There was just one way out. A way he has not for every mammal. He exhaled deeply, looked into the purple eyes of his bunny and said.

"I'm sorry Judy, if I insulted you in any way, then I'm deeply sorry for this...so everything alright my dearest bunny?"

Still looking at her fox with a gaze as if she interrogated a dangerous criminal, she spoke to him.

"You are sorry?"

"Yes, ma'am," replied Nick and made a little salute with his right paw but tried to keep a straight face.

"Prove it," was the short reply of Judy.

"Okay...but...how?"

Finally, returned a smile back to Judy's face, it was a teasing one and Nick knew what she wanted from him, as soon as she grabbed something behind her on the table.

Her left empty paw grabbed Nick's right one and raised it in front of his chest. With on swung from her back put Judy her cards for the next round into his paw and said.

"Win for me. At least one time, I want that my name is standing with the number one besides it on this paper."

Everyone looked now at the fox and in one smooth movement he stood up, turned his paw with the cards in it around and let them disappear. Dazzled he left the others on the table with his trick and took a step behind the bench, offering Judy his place with a little bow.

"As you wish milady," said Nick with a wide grin on his face. The bunny took two steps on the bench and leaned herself on Nick's shoulder, after he sat down. With a smile she looked a the rest of the group and saw how slowly most of them realized that the game would become now more interesting...to put it that way.

Nick however sat himself on Judy's place and with another smooth movement of his right paw, he let the cards reappear but now completely spread like a fan in his paw.

"Okay guys, let's play. But be warned, I worked for half a year in the Royal Plaza Casino as a card dealer. So no cheating."

Stella chuckled and replied, "Yeah, as if we are the ones who would cheat…."

"I heard you Miss Conroy."

"Oh you better did…," said Jessica and nodded with a smile over to Stella, as if the two understood each other blindly.

With quick movements sorted Nick the cards in his paw and spoke at the same time with Judy, she however looked interested over his shoulder, her nose was twitching and this was, like ever a good sign for her interest.

"Okay Carrots, let me explain what you did wrong and how you can win a card game."

"Teach me master…," said Judy smiling and not knowing, that he really would teach her something. No jokes this time but real information.

"Fine, first thing what do you see in contrast to your last game?"

"Ehm...you sorted your cards?"

"Correct Miss Hopps. Lecture number one, know where your aces are and you can use them in time. In the paws you held till now, even I couldn't see every needed card."

"So this was my biggest problem? Wrong sorted cards?"

Nick chuckled over his bunny and laid the first cards on the table. Nathan who sat besides him was first but he could just pass and throw a card on the trash pile of not longer needed cards.

"No Carrots, your biggest problem is that you don't understand the aim of this game."

Insulted from his words, stopped Judy leaning on his shoulders and put her paws on her hips. But she was still in her dress and too adorable to be seen as a real threat to anybody.

"Aha, so winning is no longer the aim of this game?"

"Nope, never was, never will be. You could be the first in this game, without winning any round at all."

Slowly dropping the ears of the bunny and she started to listen. Maybe there was really something in this game he could see, that she couldn't. 'A card dealer in a casino, yeah somehow it fits,' thought Judy and smiled like a little child over the new gained information from him.

"The problem is, that you try to play this game like chess and oh boy, in chess I will never beat you. There, you are just too smart for me…," Nick paused, laid two more cards at the piles, the others produced during their turns and he leaned his head back with a smile, to look up to his bunny and gave her a quick kiss on her chin, which she didn't even seemed to realize. She was clearly thinking about his words and what happened in front of her.

"Bootlicker," came from Jessica, who had five more cards in her paw. But Nick didn't even replied to her. He just kept smiling, after his head looked back at his cards.

"Jessica!"

Bonnie who sat beside her daughter, almost hissed at her, for the last insult.

"Oh mum, that was a joke, okay? It's not like I could really insult Nick in any way...right fox?"

A slight smile appeared on Nick's face and he looked soothing to Bonnie.

"Don't worry Bonnie, your daughters are just teasing me, that's all. No need to be alarmed."

Bonnie accepted Nick's answer but she was not satisfied, not at all. A quick sip from her cup with the eggnog in it and she threw a last scolding look over to her daughter, which Jessica just shrugged about.

"Anyhow… mmh your aim shouldn't be to win whiskers. Because this is mostly not possible...but you can try to leave every round with as little damage as possible, which allows you in the end to win with the lowest score. It is pretty much like life, you have to watch every participant, watch which cards he takes, which he throws away, how much he holds and make assumptions about the cards he could have and what he is up to. Look for example at Stella, she has a diamond 7,8,9 and 10 on the table, six cards left...probably some match together but she needs to collect more, to continue. She is on a good way but far from winning this round. So lecture number two would be, know your enemy."

Nathan laid two of his fingers on the card deck, send a short praying to however would hear it and drew. A quick look and he knew, that this round was just as bad as the last one. He shook his head and threw the last card in the trash pile. But like always in such situations, one mammals trash was another mammals treasure. Nick took Nathan's card, it was the last one he needed to lay another group out and finished this round of the game. Amazed looked the others at the trash pile, on which top laid now Nick's last card, a diamond seven and not longer Nathan's. He won in not more than three rounds.

"How did you..."

"And this darling was lecture number three, try to have luck but don't rely on it too much," said Nick grinning and looked at the dazzled faces around him.

Nick pointed with his left paw on his cheek and said to Judy, "I think, I earned myself a little kiss, what do you say Carrots?"

Still confused about the fast win of his fox, she bowed slowly down and gave him his wished kiss on the cheek.

And from this round on started Nick's path from the end of the score list up to the top. He won not every game, oh no but like he predicted, with every round he got for himself never more than 15 points on his scoreboard. Slowly changed the mood on the table for most of the mammals. Jessica, Elliot and Stella were more and more annoyed about the change Judy did with Nick but they kept playing because it was still a lot of fun. Just Bonnie and Stew kept smiling about the whole evening, the atmosphere was jolly and that was what they wanted for such a night. Everyone on one table, with joy and a good time, nothing more and nothing less.

Somehow managed Nick to stand at the first position of the scoreboard, together with Jessica. The last round was basically just a competition between those two.

"Give up Jess, that would make the whole process a lot easier," said Nick with a smirk. Jessica had now, after 7 rounds, just one more card left and Nick only two but none of them wanted to give in. Judy was still leaning on Nick's shoulder, with every played round more and more fascinated by the skills Nick had.

"Oh no, no, no. You will play this game with me to the end fox. Don't blame me, that you sold your soul, fur and everything else you have to my sister!"

Slightly embarrassed answered Judy to her sister, "He...he didn't sold everything to me, what he has…"

"BUT! He would, just look at him. I bet he is mentally prepared to give you every last penny he owns… and we know how much that is, at least if it wasn't a joke, what you once told us Mr Wilde."

Still with an awkward feeling, looked Judy now from her sister down to Nick, she didn't wanted that he gave himself completely up for her. On the one hand she wanted that he remained the fox he was, but on the other hand it felt damn good and romantic to have somebody like him at her side.

"Sorry Carrots, but your sis is right… by the way, did you finally signed the ownership of the apartment," asked Nick but didn't turned around.

"No, not yet but I will do as soon as I'm back home…," answered Judy and blushed. She was still unsure if she should do something like this but Nick kept smiling at her in a strange way and she didn't understand why.

"Did...I said something wrong Nick?"

"No, no everything is alright...it's just...you called it 'home' and well...somehow it made me happy…," replied Nick and she could swear that he was actually turning away from her to swipe away a small tear. A moment long she thought about this and was sure she didn't do that to make him happy, no, well yes in the end of course, but she felt like it, with only one thing missing in there and that was him. Jessica broke her out of her romantic thoughts with a loud voice.

"YOU STILL HAVEN'T DONE IT? What are you, stupid sis?"

"What? No...it's just...I don't know…"

Shouted Jessica over the table and got a prompt reply from her sister. Besides of Jimmy who knew about this and kept quiet, switched confused faces from Nick, to Judy and back to Jessica but none of them started to explain the situation and so they went just on. All of them were totally lost in the conversation and none of the players recognized Nathan, who laid almost silently his last card on the trash pile — the spade queen.

"Finished."

All eyes went suddenly back to the game, everyone tried to realize what happened here moments ago. The wolf who can't win, won and he didn't liked it.

"That's not good…," said Nathan and looked frightened at the cards in front of him. Till now he told the complete luck-and-bad-luck-thing just Elliot and he was also the one who responded.

"Oh come on Nate, it's not like somebody will die just because, you won for the first time in ages a game, or?"

"Don't know...I hope not."

"Your safe Nate, this is just a game, nothing more. We all will be okay, have nice holidays and go back to the academy healthy and ready for action. Maybe our tummies will grow until then but we will all be alright," replied Elliot and looked soothing up to his friend.

"Maybe you are right…," said Nathan and exhaled deeply. Both mammals looked back at the battlefield which laid in front of them and was original just a table to play cards on, but for Nick and Jessica it was more. For them it was a fierce fight and the end to it drawn closer and closer.

On the paper they had now the same score, which cards they hold would settle the game. Nick looked at Jessica's cards and the doe did the same in return, both smiling like idiots.

"Why are the two staring like maniacs at each other? Did I miss something?" asked Patricia who stood by now with a huge crowd of bunnies behind Stella. The white vixen looked in return up to Patricia and smiled warm at her.

"One of booth has definitely won the entire game, till now they had the exact same score," replied Stella to Patricia, who shook just her head, "Poor Jess, to lose a game against my brother…"

"How do you wanna know that?"

"Oh Snowflake, if Nick wants to win a game, then he will win it, believe me," said Patricia and smiled back at Stella, who seemed to understand what she was referring to.

All heads around the table turned now back to the bunny and the fox, the tension was high and most of the watcher thought they knew what would happen. Jessica had one card and Nick had two, the math was easy and the odds stand more than good for the bunny.

"Now Jess, let us see what you've got," said Nick and leaned back. Smiling, threw Jessica her last card with two fingers. Almost perfectly it landed for everyone visible in the middle of the table – a heart seven.

Judy's ears dropped after she saw the card of her sister, but like all the others who were watching, she didn't knew the last two cards of her fox either. He didn't let her peeked into his last paw. Why? Did he…?

Smiling like the devil, after he made a good contract to collect some new souls, threw Nick his first card to Jessica's on the table. The small flight over the table, let the card turn around like the blades of a helicopter and no one could exactly made out, which number it showed. Slowly it made its last turn, laid down and showed everyone the heart three.

The tension was now higher than ever, Nick threw his last card and every eye in the goddamn hall followed the flight to its aim. It landed directly besides Nick's other card, a diamond three.

Nick won, maybe just one point below Jessica but a victory is still a victory, no matter how close it was. For a short moment went a wave of silence over the table, everyone was looking at the two cards and the grinning fox, who threw them on the table.

Judy however raised her arms in a victorious posture behind Nick and broke the silence in the whole hall with a loud, "Yes, we did it!", Like crazy she started to jump on the bench behind her fox for quite a minute or so. Finally, she came down and laid her head on Nick's head and her paws on his shoulders.

"You see, sis. I can win this card game," said Judy with a huge grin.

"You know that Nick won this and not you, right?" replied Jessica, collecting the cards in front of her but Judy's smile didn't sink because of this fact, she knew that her fox made most of the good work.

"Oh Jess, we are a team, Nick and I. If he wins, then of course I win too. Simple as that," replied Judy and smiled over both ears. The remaining members on the table made themselves ready to leave, some for bed, like Jimmy who softly woke his bunny or Stew and Bonnie Hopps who left and wished the rest a good night.

" _I bet Nick wanted to win something else from you tonight in bed…,"_ mumbled Jessica to herself.

"What did you say sis?"

"What? I? Nothing, I just wish you and Nick a good night. Oh...and I think Patty wants something from you," said Jessica, pointing with her finger behind Judy and stood up to get herself another cup of eggnog from a nearby pot. The still warm eggnog stood on one of those hot plates, which kept your food for a longer time warm. Standing besides it, Jessica took a look around the hall. Emilia seemed to be ready with her preparations and had already send all the bunnies that helped her to bed, she was the last one left, who was still working or better cleaning. Bonnie, Stew, Cathy and Jimmy left the hall through one of the main tunnels, which lead them to their rooms. Jessica grinned dirty and looked back at the remaining mammals at the table. The cup in front of her muzzle, she sipped from time to time on it and kept thinking.

The first thing Judy saw, as she turned to Patricia was a tiptoeing vixen, which smiled bright at her. The group of smaller bunnies, which were not long ago around Patricia, were now gathered around Stella. Overpowered and overwhelmed from all the fluff around her, tried Stella to keep the bunnies calm but she shouldn't come far with her pleading and begging. Teasingly shouted Nick over to her.

"Stella, don't show fear - they can smell it."

"Very funny Nick! Come here and help me...auh please not on my tail...please little bunnies...auh…," replied Stella and tried her best to calm the little fluff monsters down, but that was not so easy for the vixen, especially not because everyone last one of them wanted to touch her white and fluffy fur.

"Judy! You and Nick have to help me and Stella to bring the little bunnies to bed. I talked with Amanda and she was more than okay to give me that task," said Patricia. Judy could see that Patricia was more than excited to bring them to bed, smiling she replied to her and Nick.

"Come Nick, your sister and Stella needs our help and I think you could tell the bunnies a good night story, what do you think?"

"What? I never signed for that job!" shouted Stella, slightly annoyed from some meters away of the three, slowly drowning in a sea of fluff.

Nick who heard this and of course his bunny , stood up and stretched his limbs, a little yawn followed his stretching and he was ready, "Whatever you say fluff...hey Stella do you still need help?"

But he saw that she desperately needed some.

Nick let a short but sharp whistle from his lips, almost instantly left every bunny, which was clasped to Stella, her fur and gathered in a little but well coordinated crowd around Nick. With a smirk on his face talked the red fox to them. Stella, who was pushed to the floor from the huge amount of bunnies, stood slowly up, corrected her fur on some places but despite that, she still looked completely fuzzy.

The white vixen walked to Nick and stood herself besides him. With suspicion, she watched how the little bunnies behaved, still with the lingering fear in her mind, that at any second the band of bandits in front of her would rise again to attack her. She asked herself who really was the predator here and who the prey.

"Okay guys, what did we said about aunt Stella?"

"No clasping to her tail," replied the whole crowd of maybe 30 bunnies, almost instantly and with a little bit annoyance in their voices.

"Correct and what do we say to her, if we do it without permission?"

"We are sorry aunty Stella, for making you angry."

60 huge bunny eyes looked up to her new aunt, who had her arms crossed in front of her chest. Eagerly they try to look as cute as they can and somehow it works, Stella's hard and angered face became slowly soft, until a small smile appeared around her muzzle. Finally bowed the arctic vixen down to the bandits and smiled soothingly at them.

A little bunny girl, even smaller than the Rose-siblings, Nick whispered to Stella that her name was Dotty, original Dorothee but she was too small to pronounce it correctly, walked with tears in her eyes to Stella.

"A-are you m-mad at m-me...aunt Stella?"

Emotional moved by the little one replied Stella, "What? No, no everything is fine...just..just...don't pull too hard on my fur, okay?"

Happy that her new white fox aunt is not mad at her, Dotty hugged Stella's snout out of the blue and the arctic vixen was more than surprised about the sudden outbreak of joy. Her ears laid back and her eyes went wide, because until now she had just no problems with hugs and other touches from Patricia. But this little Bunny girl? No need to feel uncomfortable about her. Stella relaxed fast, patted Dotty with her paw and stood back up. Giggling ran the little bunny back to the horde of troublemakers.

"How can you remember all their names by now? That's pretty…."

"Impressive? Thanks Stella but no, not really, that's what I needed to survive on the streets. I had to know everyone or else no one would have known me," replied Nick grinning but Stella felt he meant it.

Stella felt how two paws clasped around her shoulders and she knew it were Patricia's. Not even a second later and her snout was at Stella's ear. Whispering, said Patricia to Stella.

" _You would be a good mother Snowflake, still a way to go but...the basics are great."_

A shiver went down on Stella's spine and resulted finally in a puffed up tail of the white vixen and some red ears. Embarrassed looked Stella back to Patricia and said also whispering.

" _Please, don't say something like this Patty…, you know it's not true…."_

" _One day, you will understand what I mean."_

But like in the train today, their little private talk was abruptly interrupted by someone. This time it was Nick who gave both a little push to walk on behind the horde of bunnies, who slowly stumbled towards their beds.

"Okay girls, quit your dirty talk for now, we have to put a lot of bunnies to bed. Where are you whiskers?"

Patricia giggled slightly over Nick's sentence but Stella shook just her head about him. But Patricia and Nick knew that she did this just because no one saw her blushing.

"Wait...I'm coming," shouted Judy back to her fox, still at the table from before, searching for something. After finding what she was looking for, she ran relatively fast over to them. The group was already leaving on their way to the sleeping rooms of the little bunnies.

"Oh girls, you have no idea, how I love to hear this sentence from her," said Nick grinning at both of them.

Both vixen stopped suddenly and turned around to him, with half open eyes and a gaze that only said, 'That's not what you have said, right Nick?'. But before they could reply to him, arrived Judy and proclaimed happy, "Okay, let us put some bunnies to bed!"

"What did you searched on the table, Carrots?"

With a grin on her face, pulled Judy a piece of paper from her sleeve, it was the scoreboard where Bonnie wrote down the scores of the participants. Nick took the paper and looked at it. Besides Judy's name, had Bonnie drawn a little crown for the winner and besides Jessica's name a crying bunny face. The unhappy second place. His gaze wandered over the paper until he found what he searched for. Nathan, who had four times more points, then the second last one, which was Stew by the way.

"Will you keep it?"

"Of course! Ten years, I waited for this piece of paper!"

Nick gave the paper back to his bunny and together they left the hall to the bunny bed rooms, following the crowd.

Nathan saw how the huge bunny group together with Judy, Nick, Patricia and Stella disappeared into one of the tunnels of the Hopps burrow and for a moment he thought about following them but finally decided against it.

A quick look to the right side showed him, that Elliot was talking with three juvenile bucks about games but this times it were video games, another thing in which Nathan sucked.

"And you really want to tell me, ME, that you can defeat me in 'Deer Fighter II'? What are you, suicidal?"

"Ehm...yes? Do you want that we prove it," replied one of the three Bunnies rebellious, he had bright brown fur and a pair of glasses on his nose. His brothers behind him, each of them also equipped with a pair of glasses, grinned over their whole faces. Probably happy about the fact that they have someone new to beat up...well I hope just in terms of the game. Nathan saw that Elliot's ambition was awakened, which means that from here on there would be only one path for him. He saw that Elliot looked up to him, with asking gaze if he could go with them, but the black wolf nodded just with a warm smile on his face to his friend.

"Okay guys, let's do it! Time to teach you some manners...and Nathan, you…," Elliot didn't ended his sentence but Nathan did for him,"...I'll be alright, come on go and beat some digital bunny butts. I see you crazy beaver tomorrow."

Elliot gave Nathan a little salute with two fingers and all four went chuckling in direction of the tunnels, where they shortly after disappeared. Nathan however folded his paws, leaned his elbows on the table and leaned his head on his paws. Looking around in the now almost empty hall, Emilia had sat herself with a glass of wine and a book in front of the fireplace but despite her seemed no one else to be around. Finding nothing of interest for him, he closed for a short moment his eyes, reconsidering the day and all the events which happened till now.

The somehow tensed train ride to Bunny Burrow, the walk to the burrow of Judy's parents, all of us getting comfortable in the hall and then...Trevor who fucked everything up. He never liked him, not just because he was after Judy and the implications for Nick, no he talked behind the back of other mammals and that was something Nathan just found disgusting. And finally Nick who cleared the situation before worse things could happen, since then all is fine, nice atmosphere, a lot of fun and the right amount of punch, thought Nathan chuckling to himself. Everything here was chaos but a chaos he liked a lot, it remembered him of the orphanage...and the better days of his life. And for a short moment he thought, what would have happened if he hadn't met Nick and the others… he knew his life would be quieter but better? No, he didn't thought that this could be possible. Yes, it was also much more dangerous now but what did he has to lose? Friends, yes. But those friends wanted to fight an almost unknown enemy and not fight on their side would just be cowardly, another thing Nathan hated.

Deep in thought, sat the black wolf at the table, as the sweet smell of eggnog came to him and let his nose twitch. A slight giggle came from opposite him. As soon as he opened his eyes, he looked into the smiling face of Jessica, who held with one paw a cup filled with the Christmas punch up to him.

He looked to her and remembered how shocked he was, when he saw her for the first time. A second Judy, almost identical to the original but now he knew, that was bullshit. The more he looked at her, the less both resembled each other. Jessica's eye color, was much lighter than Judy's, her grey fur darker, her voice a little bit deeper and her scent was completely different.

"I thought you could need some company and….," said Jessica and showed Nathan a smaller deck of cards,"...maybe you want to play another round?"

Nathan took the cup and drunk a small sip from it. He pointed with his finger at the cards and said,"Thanks for the drink, Jess. Do you want to end your day with some pleasant memories after your lose against Nick?"

Again appeared this dirty grin on her face with which she replied, "Yeah...pleasant memories...something like that."

"Okay, then what do we play?" asked Nathan stand his cup besides him, ignoring Jessica's statement or better he tried not to think so much about it.

"I thought of a last round of rummy...and to make it a little bit more interesting, I would say the loser of five rounds owns the winner a favour, so what do you say?"

A smile creeped over Nathan's face but dissolved rather quickly into thin air. But still with amusement in his voice, he said,"I would say, Jess, what do you want me to do for you? Because it doesn't matter if we play 5, 50 or 500 rounds. The result will still be the same. I will lose."

"I think you overstate your losing streak a bit, Nathan. I mean you won not even an hour ago, a complete round. So how would you call that?"

"Terrifying, if you ask me."

Jessica had to laugh over this statement, not really believing him or better understanding what he meant.

"Your joking right?"

"Not in the slightest."

"What…?"

"Listen Jess and let me tell you a story about a little wolf. Let's call him Nathan, he was a bundle of energy when he was small, everytime with his friends, always outside. But Nathan also loved to play all different kind of games with his brothers and sisters in the orphanage,...oh I forgot to tell you that the little wolf was an orphan but I think you would get it from the context…," explained Nathan, still with a smile on his face. Jessica however smiled sarcastic to him, as if she would say 'Haha, I know what you mean, I'm not stupid.' and Nathan knew that she wasn't.

"...Anyhow, when the wolf was nine years old and played like so many times before with his orphan siblings, something strange happened – he won a game. A card game to be exactly. For anyone else it would be totally normal to win from time to time but not for him. He saw it, they saw it, somebody made a joke about it but in the end he shrugged it off. On the same day a friend of the wolf, a good friend,...maybe his best friend at that time, with the name Sebastian had a terrible car accident. They were young and had nowhere specific to go and so the whole town became their playground. And yes it was a dangerous playground, a fact they understood at this moment but too late."

Jessica's face had changed, it became bitter and apologizing, as if she regretted that she asked him out about his past. But somehow he was still smiling. But why? After such a story?

"Nathan... I-I'm sorry I didn't know…"

"Of course not, I mean how could you? And don't worry Jess, I lost more than one friend during my time in the orphanage, either through accidents, diseases or families...it's kind of funny...actually. They all say they would come back to visit you but they never do and I can't blame them. Hah...I mean who wants to go back to something like that?"

"Was it so bad there?"

"Actually no, well...not for me but every mammal is different I assume, but I also have no memory of my parents. Maybe that is the reason, why I actually liked it. For me there was always the orphanage and for me it was like home with a lot of siblings...so basically like your childhood but with much more different species."

Her look was still worried and so were her feelings about him, but he kept smiling at her and Jessica didn't knew if he did it for her or if this was, what he really felt. But despite that, she felt that he was not at the end with his story.

"Anyhow...Sebastian was brought into the hospital but his chances weren't so good. One night and with that exactly two weeks after the accident, the kids played another round of cards and like tonight it was Rummy. And like tonight Nathan won the last game. It was that moment that he understood two things, the first was that Sebastian wouldn't come back home and the second was that whenever he would play and win, something terrible will happen, which he couldn't change."

"Why do you do that, Nathan?"

"Do what?"

"Talk about yourself in the third person?"

Nathan leaned back and shrugged. A minute or so he was just staring to the ceiling, thinking how he should explain it to her.

"I would say, to stay who I am and not turn into a ghost."

"A ghost? Now we got some creepy shit over here Mr Graham," said Jessica chuckling and so did Nathan as a reply. But at least his laughing was honest, thought Jessica.

"...sorry, that was not really appropriate...but seriously. What do you mean with that?"

"Mmh, It's something Nick told me once. For him ghosts are not some spooky things, that scare you at night...well maybe, but I don't think something like this exists. No, for him ghosts are mammals who don't come over their past, clasping with all their strength to some old memories that are long gone. I think you know why thinks something like that."

"Wow, such wise words from the old hustler…," said Jessica snickering to Nathan.

"Well, he has his moments," replied the black wolf smiling and taking another sip from his cup. Jessica could have stopped at this moment, go to bed and left it how it was but she didn't. Ready for another round she dealt the cards out.

Deeply exhaling, said Nathan, "Really Jess?"

"Oh yes, come on! I want to know who will die tomorrow...or at least how many of my siblings will go to the big bunny in the sky," said Jessica smiling to Nathan, who sat there with an open muzzle.

"You have a strange sense of humor…," replied Nathan and started to collect his cards in one of his paws.

Jessica, who did the same thing after she finished the dealing, replied again with a dirty grin to Nathan, "Well, you can bet one thing and that is that my humor is as dark as your fur, darling."

The game began but for four rounds, everything remained the same. Jessica was wining and Nathan...well Nathan tried as best as he could to be a worthy opponent…, at least...something like that. Every game was not longer than six or seven rounds and after the third round for Jessica, could the bunny no longer hide her grin. She knew she was through, the last two games were just for fun.

But the fifth and last game was different, Nathan could put down multiple cards and after 11 rounds both of them had just one card left. Jessica threw her drawn card on the pile of trash and exhaled deeply. Nathan looked very uncomfortable, until Jessica broke him free from his fear of winning.

"Hello? Earth to Nathan, you are still there?"

"Mhmm...yup."

"Sweet cheeze and crackers, would you please draw a card?"

"I would prefer not to…"

"You know what, fuck it," said Jessica happy but slowly impatient for the wolf's behaviour. She drew his card and looked at it – the jester. Smiling to him and more than eager to see his last card, she said, "Okay, you won. And now show me your last card."

Nathan gulped heavy and laid his last card on the table. It was again the spade queen, like in the last little tournament they played just hours ago.

"I don't like it, Nope. No, no, no. That is not good!"

Pointing at the last card he almost shouted out his anger. His paws were clenched to fists of rage, which laid on the table, waiting for an enemy that would never come.

"Damn it! Why has something like this to happen here!"

"Calm down big boy, it's just… a card. Nothing more. Not like you killed someone with that."

"Until now."

Smiling laid Jessica her paws on Nathan's fists and tried with her most soothing voice to calm him down.

"Nathan, that are just cards, nothing more and nothing less, okay? You are just a bad player that's all."

She could feel how Nathan's muscles relaxed under her touch and for a last time he exhaled deeply.

"Maybe you are right…"

"Of course I'm right... Listen, let's call it a day and I show you your room. What do you say?"

"Sounds good, but what is with the favor, that I owe you?"

Again this dirty smile from her and a gaze with which she evaluated him from head to toe and back.

"Don't worry, you will understand when the time comes. And please this way Mr Graham."

Jessica pointed at the same tunnel, where sooner this evening also Stew, Bonnie, Jimmy and Cathy disappeared. Walking up in front, Jessica took a last look at the cards on the table and especially at Nathan's last card... the spade queen. If this was really a symbol for something, if this really meant anything than she knew only one mammal in this burrow on which this card would fit. Hopefully this really was just a coincidence and nothing more.

 **Nathan**

" _Nathan?"_

Someone was calling him, but he knew it was just a dream, like so many times before he wandered through the Sunvalley Orphanage. An old brickwork building, similar to the police academy, but instead of the cold and artificial linoleum was everywhere a wooden floor, brightly polished from the many years and mammals which walked this halls. He followed the old floor down to the dining hall, a path which he walked so many times that he could do it in his sleep. Well...actually he did it in his sleep, right now.

" _Nathan?"_

The voice was friendly and somehow he knew who belongs to it...but from where or whom? Well...maybe later. He stepped into door frame of the hall, four long dining tables, in front of four big windows directly showing the messy weather outside in the Meadow Lands of Zootopia. A little counter on the left to get your breakfast or whatever meal was served right now and of course the bell right beside the door, ready to call everyone to this place.

Nathan looked around and of course was no one here...except for one mammal. Every time he had the same dream, every time he walked through this place and every time he was alone, well besides of one mammal in the building. A big grey wolf, maybe two heads taller than himself, was sitting at the rear end of one dining table and watched him. Nothing more, he just sat just there and watched him. He was old ,maybe at the end of the 50s or something in the 60s but not older. In his left paw he held a wooden cane, which seemed to help him to walk but his most outstanding characteristic was the black eyepatch over his left eye and a bright green eye (it remembered him strongly of Nick's eye color) on the other side, which watched everything in his surrounding. He never talked, he just sat there and watched him, as if he was ready to attack at any moment. But Nathan knew that he was not dangerous, not for him.

" _Nathan?"_

The voice was now more forceful and he understood that it came from upstairs, he didn't needed long to decide it was better to follow it, than to stay here. It's not like the grey wolf would start to talk and reveal all of his mysteries. No he would just sit there and stare...nothing more. He walked up the stairs, into the bedroom area of this building.

" _Nathan."_

Upstairs he turned to the right, passed the girls bedrooms, the community showers and the storage room, with all the cleaning tools he disliked so much( but hey work was work), to finally reach the boys bedrooms. He never understood why they showered together with the girls but the sleeping rooms were separated… well probably regulations from the town hall. It's not like there could also happen 'things' in the shower but hey.

Opening the door and stepping into his old and warm bedroom, he recognized that this was the first time, that he was not alone in his dream, except from his silent watcher. It was dark in here, only the moon illuminated the room a little bit through the old window. Everything was there how he left it, his little book shelf, his closet, the way to small desk for him and of course his bed. This time and in here he was watched by someone else, someone new. It was Jessica who sat on his bed, dressed in nothing more than a long white shirt. There was something written on it but he couldn't read it – dream logic.

"Hey darling, what do you say? Time for some fun," asked Jessica with her dirty grin. Her eyes looked at first to Nathan and then to her paw which laid on the bed. With two soft pats on the bed she tried to convince Nathan to join her. But he was still thinking and took a last look around, unsure how he should proceed. After all, this was just a dream, he could do whatever he wanted. But should he?

He stared at the bed, more and more he got the feeling that it was calling him, that he should lay down, that this was the place where he belonged at the moment. Jessica looked at him and said soothing.

"Just the two of us Nathan, come lay down."

Nathan shrugged, smiled slightly and laid down. 'What should happen,' he asked himself, 'by tomorrow, all of this would be nothing more than far distant memory, maybe even less.'

He tucked his arms under his head and watched how Jessica sat herself on his stomach, she was very light, the shirt covered now not even half her thighs. Smiling she looked down on him and said almost purring.

"Now you just have to do one more thing…"

"Oh and what is that?"

She leaned over his upper body, until she reached his right ear. Whispering she spoke to him.

"Wake up."

Like an echo ran the two words into his ear and brain. Echoing over and over in it, until a little shock ran through his body, a shock that forced him to open his eyes. Blinking he looked into the darkness of his room. Slowly sorted his mind the facts which it needed to realise where he was and what happened. Judy invited him, Elliot and Stella for Christmas into her parents home, they drove here, Trevor made a lot of chaos but Nick dumped him into the cold, they had all a great evening together and Jessica and he were the last...

"You need quite a long time to come to your senses."

"Really? I thought I'm fast with…"

His brain still not really disconnected from the dream, where the bunny on top of him was just an illusion of his mind, hadn't realised that a bunny on top of him here was a real thing. Seemingly was the last part of the dream, the new part, more reality than imagination.

As soon as he understood that there was really a bunny sitting half naked on top of him, his eyes widened and he tried to back off. But he didn't came far, his paws were handcuffed to the old and massive bed frame and for the moment he could just lay there and wait for an answer.

"What the hell? Jess? What...is going on here?"

Soothing laid Jessica her paw on his bare chest, at the moment he thanked himself that he never developed the habit to sleep completely naked – he had still his shorts on. The soft pressure of her paw, against his pounding heart brought him slowly down.

"Come down Nathan, it's me. Sweet cheese and crackers, I didn't thought you would react like this..."

Panting he looked up to her, his eyes now fully adjusted to the darkness around him. '98' Bunny Burrow Highschool' stood on Jessica's shirt but form the size, which she could wear as a dress, he assumed, that it wasn't original hers. Maybe from some old boyfriend...

"Jess… what is going on here and why the hell I'm handcuffed to the bed?...Wait are this Judy's handcuffs from her work?"

Defensive she crossed her arms in front of her chest but her dirty grin was still on her face.

"The handcuffs are mine, so no need to worry about this. And they're just here for...let's say fun."

"I'm not sure if that really sooth my mind right now. What is going on?"

"You still don't get it? I told you that you owe me one and I decided that the thing I want is... you...but don't worry just for one night," smiling she looked down on me. The penny dropped, not to say that I had the whole night this feeling but I needed to hear it from her, fo finally confirm my thought.

"Jess?"

"Yessss," she happily purred down to me. Her shirt covered even less than in my dream. I could see that she wore some black pantys under it but she also made no act to hide it

"Is that a such a sibling-competition thing, where you try to settle who had the bigger predator in bed? I don't think that Judy will care about something like that."

Her smile turned a bit down but with her right paw, which laid until now on Nathan's chest, she started to stroke through his fur.

"Not bad Mr Graham but this was just partly right. This here, is just for my ego. I know that Judy wouldn't care for this but I do. So what do you say? I know that you are no idiot when it comes to female mammals, you know how you have to talk to them and I assume that you had your first time not with another wolf, right?"

"No…"

Nathan turned his head to the left side, he didn't wanted to look into her eyes and he didn't wanted to talk about 'her', but he had the feeling that there was no way to avoid this topic. It still hurt for him to think back.

"Oh come on, tell me. What was she? A jackal, a tiger or maybe..." teased Jessica the black wolf but he interrupted her before she could go on. His voice became a bit angered.

"A deer, okay? She was a deer and her name is Alice!"

"Wow...that's something...I didn't expected…"

Jessica saw how Nathan's anger, slowly turned into sadness. His head still turned away from her and the voice with which he spoke became cold and distant.

"We were for almost six months a couple, of course in secret...because a deer and a wolf, and then even a hybrid. Crazy."

"Yeah, just like a bunny and a fox."

"Sort of...anyhow, she wanted to leave the town but anywhere else are the laws about interspecies relationship way tougher than in Zootopia. And I wanted to stay and become a police officer. She was two month older than me, after her birthday she left the orphanage, she left the city and… she left me. And because of that I...I think that it wouldn't work between us."

Jessica leaned for and opened the handcuffs. But even with them off, Nathan didn't moved. Whispering into his ear, just like in his dream from before.

"I didn't talked about becoming a couple, you are way to young for me and way to nice. I meant having some fun for an hour, relieve some stress, no responsibilities or do you think, you could knock me up?"

"No..."

"And we are both singles right?"

"Yes…"

"Sooo what's the problem?"

Nathan exhaled deeply and turned his head back to her.

"Fine, but we will talk to nobody about this, okay?"

Grinning she looked at him.

"Bunny promise, I will tell nobody."

A bit to enthusiastic leaned Nathan up, to give Jessica a kiss, but she stopped him with her index finger on his snout. Dazzled looked the wolf in the half closed eyes of Jessica, who was still smiling.

"...I think we have to clear some rules Nathan, first no means no and that for both of us and second no kissing. Sorry, but I'm a classy girl, when it comes to this."

Finally it was up to Nathan to smile. Today he heard a lot of strange things but this was something he had to get over.

"Really? That is where you draw the line? Okay, fine."

Nathan tried to stood up from the bed, which wasn't so easy with Jessica on top of him. But she knew that she had him were she wanted and let him do as he pleases. Standing in front of the bed, he saw that Jessica watched him with eager eyes. Without any second thoughts he took of his shorts, shame was something you lose rather quickly in an orphanage together with the false pride to say no to a good time.

"But you are not such a classy girl to do it with close on?"

With a smile and both paws she pulled the shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor. Nathan looked a last time around an out of the window. The clouds were gone and just the moon shone from the clear night sky down on the burrow and through the window, he didn't know why but he had the feeling it would be a short night for him.


	21. Gifts and Breakfast

**Judy**

There are two things that promised always good sleep for Judy Hopps, her bed here in Bunny Burrow and a certain fox right beside her. Both together were like heaven for her, knowing that she would awake the next day completely rested and ready to take on everything she wanted. Others needed long vacation to regenerated what work or society had taken from them, she needed just a weekend with Nick in her parents home.

Her eyes were still closed but her mind was already in high gear and working on different questions but since a long time, they were not work related. She thought about all the things she wanted to do with Nick and the others, during their time off. There was a lot on her list but for now she thought only of one thing and this was the present for Nick, which still was in her suitcase, where it waited to be overhanded to him.

Judy stretched her head a little bit up, so that she laid perfectly between Nick's throat and chin but his unconscious mind seemed to have different plans. His head turned a bit but just perfectly that his whiskers tickled her nose and triggered the typical reaction for this, Judy had to scratch it. No way around. And as soon as she raised her paw to do so, Nick drew her closer to him in his sleep, this was how she learned by now a typical reaction from him. To be honest, he did this several times in the night but somehow had Judy until now not the courage to speak with him about this behaviour. And why should she? It was kind of cute and since she had him as a sleep companion, never in this time she had woken up, freezing because she lost the blanket or forgot to close the window. Nick was all she needed to sleep well.

After some seconds she heard again the soft snoring of her fox and she knew that she hadn't woken him, well not now. Slow and careful raised the bunny Nick's right paw, which laid around her stomach and tried to hold her close. As soon as Nick's paw was high enough, she made a roll and landed careful on the cold wooden floor of her old room. The sudden change in the temperature and the lost of the blanket as well as her fox made her shiver, not to forget that she instantly regretted to get up without him. But, awake was awake and she was almost bursting with anticipation for the day.

Watching her surroundings for a while, she decided that her first stop for the day, was her old desk, where her and Nick's phones laid to charge. 7:48 am stood on the screen, late for the normal Hopps time schedule.

She took a quick look for new messages, maybe some new burrow gossip, wouldn't be too bad. Judy couldn't care less about some famous mammals and what they are doing but the situation of her own family was always something she was interested in and with over two hundred bunnies, there was always something happening or in progress. Even more now where the whole bunny clan was extended by some foxes, a beaver and a wolf. There it was, the first pic of the day, which was already worthy to talk about and talk was already in progress about it. The first message itself was from Amanda who wanted to look for her girls in the morning but found even more in their bed. Too be exactly, there laid two vixen sleeping but holding each other by one hand, in a sea of fluff. Dozen of little bunnies slept around them, besides or on top of Patricia and Stella. Some of the little ones even used the tails of the vixen as a blanket and Judy knew how warm and cozy that could be.

Yesterday evening, both fell asleep during a story, that Judy was reading out loud of a book with bunny bedtime stories. Not even 10 minutes and everyone including the two vixen were fast asleep and so Nick and Judy left the two with the little ones, both laid head on head there covered just by fluff.

Judy scrolled through the messages of the Hopps group but saw just positive reactions, she knew that some of her siblings weren't so delighted about her and Nick but they seemed not to correspond with the others. From time to time appeared a new brown icon and somehow had Elliot managed it to join the Hopps group and Judy couldn't even differ him from the rest of her gossiping sisters, at least from the style of writing or the used language.

'Tell me one more time, you are not interested in something like this El,' thought Judy smiling and was just about to lay her phone back.

But of course noticed the sharp eyed beaver, at least sharp eyed when it's about monitors, screens and what happens on them, that Judy was online. Not even one second and the first words from him appeared in a private chat.

Elliot: Hey Boss. Hope you had a good night with your fox. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Judy rolled her eyes but kept smiling, she knew that he didn't mean it in any offending way.

Judy: Yeah, not bad I guess… (#•_•#)

Elliot: Well, then guess who else had yesterday night some fun ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Judy: Don't know...who? ＼(°ロ＼)

Elliot: Let's say, she resembles you a 'lot'

Realization, followed by a big wave of Confusion, rushed over Judy's face…,'Jess has no boyfriend at the moment, so who…'

Elliot: I guess you play the old Owl game right now, boss - who, who, who could it be that Jess met? (^–^)

Judy: Oh you betcha! So…? ＼(°ロ＼)

Elliot: Well, I bet he will deny it during breakfast but you should keep your eyes out for Nathan...

Another wave of realization hit Judy but this time not just in the face. 'Nathan? The good guy, who always helps you out, never a bad word about others? He should initiate that? Maybe I should have a little talk with my sister.'

Judy: \\(°O°)/ What? How?...When?

Elliot: 3 in the morning. Nick's mum and I were just going to our rooms, separated rooms of course. As we heard behind us a door opening. At first we thought it's you but as soon as we saw her dirty grin and heard her voice, wishing us a good night, we knew something was up. Mrs. Wilde could seconds later confirm my theory by her good nose. I think you know the problems of foxes and wolves after some intimacy… ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Judy: Yeah…hehe...(#^_^')...well, till breakfast El

Elliot: Later boss, gossip beaver out!

Laying her phone back on her desk, Judy stood there for a while to get over the new information and the heat in her face. But after a short shook of her head, she walked around in her now a little bit more enlighten room, still with her purple sleeping shorts and top on. A quick look back to the bed and Nick still seemed to sleep, the blanket slowly lifting and lowering in a rhythmic way.

Judy walked over to the pile of clothes, which laid on the ground in the middle of the room.

Memories from last night came to her mind, as she looked at the red pile. Was it really last night or was it already this morning, that she took it off? She couldn't say for sure. But she knew one thing, thinking back made her shiver, blush and she felt how her heart was beating faster, a warm feeling of comfort covered her. At this certain moment, she felt home in this burrow, like she never felt home before, not like coming home after a long week or month of work or after a long vacation, no. This felt different, if she would used one word to describe her feelings, she would have used the word 'complete'. And looking back to her fox, she had the feeling that a lot of her feelings are because of him.

With a cheeky smile and biting her bottom lip, she placed the dress, with the fine stuff she wore underneath it on a hanger and put it for now back into the closet. Her paws stroked a last time over the fine red fabric and clasped for some seconds to one of the fluffy edges, before she closed the doors and turned in direction of her little bath. On the doorstep to it, she dropped her shorts and top, and thought back at the time where she and her siblings had to use one big community shower. 40 naked bunnies under the shower, running, playing but none of them really showering, it's a wonder that Judy's mum not just took a load of soap and dropped it over the bunnies...or maybe she did? After all that years it was difficult to tell...and Judy was also just one of those bunnies, playful and open for every stupid idea thst came along.

The time went by under the shower, as Judy stood there and damped for a long time her fur with warm, almost to hot water. Her ears were dropped and the water which fall on it too loud to hear anything around her. With circling movements she massaged shampoo into her fur on the head, which made it impossible for her to see anything that happened around her. Carefree she stood there and hummed the melody of a song, she remembered from Nick's music collection, by now she was almost halfway through the collection but she already picked some favorites for herself.

Behind her, dragged a shadow nearer and nearer.

Slowly, he raised his paws, holding in his right a little metal object that was just destined for her and no one else.

The grin on the shadows face widened as he heard which song she was humming under the hot shower and how easy he it would have to come to his aim, but slowly, very slowly… Judy's humming had changed by now, she was singing.

 _"Take me back to square one_

 _Right back where it begun_

 _Push me over the edge_

 _Start me again and again"_

A little shriek escaped her mouth, as soon as she felt how a paw was stroking over her chest fur. Not like she didn't knew which mammal belonged to this paw, nor was it something the paw had never down before. But as the second paw joined the first in his work on Judy's throat, she became suspicious. Nick ended her little singing by joining her with the refrain.

 _"Come away with me_

 _While the world's asleep_

 _Walk from sea to shining sea_

 _Find ourselves a place to be"_

"Nick, what are you doing there," asked the grey doe with a chuckle.

But he didn't respond immediately, he wanted to finish his work first and even in the wet and from shampoo slippery environment, which was at the moment Judy's neck, he managed to put the little metal object on. Happy about his done work he smiled down at her and responded finally.

"Giving you, your Christmas present of course, Carrots. And joining your little song, a fine voice by the way. You know, I like when you sing."

"What? Nick we said we wouldn't…," began Judy but was just interrupted by him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Is that not something, everybody says but no one does? Besides, you want to tell me, that you have made no present for me? Well, then I would say, I don't believe you little bunny. Not...one...bit."

"Okay, you got me…," answered Judy meekly and Nick knew that she blushed, she always did in situations like this.

"What is it?" asked Judy now with joyful anticipation.

"I think you should see for yourself." said Nick, smiling from behind her. Judy washed of the shampoo as fast as she could, ended her cleaning and left the shower. She stood herself in front of the bath mirror, holding up what Nick had put around her neck. It was an oval shaped locket, that laid on Judy's chest, it was not very big but she saw that on top was an engraving. No words were engraved but a stilistic bunny and a fox which encircled each other. The bunny at the lower end and the fox at the upper end. A little chuckle came from Judy as she saw through the steam of the hot water, that the showing eye of the bunny was colored in purple and the showing eye of the fox was green. Details, that was what he always had a special eye for.

The chain was short and it completely disappeared in Judy's chest fur, together with the oval main part. The metal was a little bit darker than she knew from such silver lockets and it felt also pretty heavy, at least for its size.

Nick stood behind her and smiled, he looked still a bit sleepy to her. For a moment he laid his paws on her shoulder and his head on her head.

"And what do you think whiskers?"

"It's...it's beautiful…"

"Ahh, I hoped you like it. Now, would you kindly open it?"

"Open it?"

"Yeah sure, I mean it's a locket, so there is something locked in it, don't you think?" replied Nick with a kind smile.

Again felt Judy a rush of sensation flowing through her body. A little secret and Judy loved such little secrets, he knew that. Of course. Carefully she opened, the locket and looked with wide eyes at the two sides. On the left was a miniature photo of their kiss behind the old cinema, shortly before Nick left for the academy. And on the right side however, stood heir vow, engraved with fine italic letters.

Judy could just smile about this present, from one of her large ear to the other and wouldn't it be so steamy in the bathroom, could Nick also see that a little tear run down on Judy's right cheek. She turned around and took her fox in a tight hug, her arms around his back.

"Thank you Nick."

"I'm glad you like it, that's all that count for me."

After her intense hug, Judy hold it still in her paw, watching it from every ankle, turning it, closing, opening it and looking again at the graving in it. Nick whoever took a look at the shower and asked.

"Say Carrots, you are finished with showering?"

Judy almost didn't react, still concentrated on the piece of jewelry around her neck and in her paw.

"Mhmm," was the only response he got from her. Smiling he undressed himself from his shorts and stepped under the shower. He turned on the warm water and waited till the questions would come and he knew they would.

"It's pretty heavy and has a short chain…," asked Judy. 'And here we go,' thought Nick to himself.

"Yes my dear, because it's aim is to hide under your adorable chest fur. A piece of jewelry as beautiful as you are and just for you and your eyes only."

Nick counted internally the seconds till her blush would spread over her face. He wouldn't see it but he knew it was there.

"Ohh...mmh thanks and quite…," there it was he thought.

"Clever of me? Yeah I know, that's me," replied Nick from under the shower, Judy could already hear his grin but just continued with her questions.

"Haha... it's a little bit dark for silver, don't you think?"

"Yeah, because it's not made of silver."

Panic spread in Judy. Why? Well because she had given him a clear rule and that said nothing over hundred dollars. Normally, no one in the Hopps home received any kind of gifts to Christmas, not because it was to expensive or someone could be forgotten, no the chaos that resulted from it was just to big and holidays would turn for every involved mammal into hell. In fact such tradition was tried twice, once when Judy was 8 and once when she was 14 and both times it ended in total mayhem and at least 40 crying bunnies. By now are just some bunnies a present, Tommy for example is such an exception. Judy banned the memories for now and thought of the next expensive metal on her internal list.

"W-White gold? Please don't say you chose such an expensive metal!"

"No... it's not white gold…"

Judy turned herself to the curtain and talked directly to the fox shaped shadow behind it.

"Steel, y-you have chosen steel. Please, tell me you have chosen steel for me."

But she knew it wasn't steel, her jewelry was to heavy, to be of that kind of metal.

"Do you honestly believe, I would give you jewelry, made of steel? Who do you think am I? Scrooge McDuck?"

In this moment remembered Judy that every expensive piece of jewelry had somewhere a mark, with the material and the purity, if it was a fine piece of jewelry. But by now, she had no doubt that it was. Again she started to turn it in her paw, until she saw it clear on the backside of it. 'Pt' stood there, platinum one of the rarest and what mattered more for Judy, most expensive materials of this planet...no on every planet. But what struck her even more, was the number besides it '999'. Even more purity was almost not possible for jewelry, maybe for some high tech industry machinery but not jewelry.

The emotions were raging in Judy, switching from pure delight to angered bewilderment in an instant and back. And at clearest to see, were her emotions at her bottom lip, which was also switching between uncontrollable trembling and biting. With force she drawn back the curtain to the shower, hot waves of steamy fog encountered her and in the little shower stood Nick, trying to hide his private parts with his tail and smiling at Judy with a dirty grin.

The doe tilted her head slightly, after she crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at her fox, as if she wanted to say, 'You try to kidding me right? After that night and with me standing naked in front of you? Really Nick?'

But Nick saw that his joke was not working, so he let his tail swing back to the position where it belonged and leaned instead against the wall, smiling at his bunny while warm water was pouring down his fur.

"So...Carrots, you want to join me for sometime under the hot water?"

"I want...that you tell me how much that locket has cost! Nick that this platinum! We said not more than 100 dollar! Sweet cheese and crackers."

Judy raised her right paw to her head and started to massage her temple, the locket still in her left paw.

"Wrong Carrots, YOU said not more than 100 dollars. I never agreed to this rule, cuddle bug...so...I have to assume, that you don't want to join me? Is that correct?"

She didn't replied, she stood just there and looked at him, with her eyes half closed, still some anger in her gaze and waited. Nick didn't even last a whole minute before he stopped his play.

"Fine! You've won...just give me 5 minutes and I'm ready…," exclaimed Nick loudly and this time really a little bit annoyed. With the same anger and force tried Judy to shut the curtain and succeeded. Nick was now forced speed up his morning shower, he hated that.

Judy took meanwhile a towel from under the sink, wrapped herself in it and was on the doorstep to her room, as Nick exclaimed loud and with a ton of sarcasm in his voice.

"I really wonder Carrots, that you have something against the metal but not against the gems, my goldsmith used as eyes for the fox and the bunny."

And then silence, she could hear nothing more than the water of the shower and her own heart, which was pounding now very fast and loud in her chest.

'Gems? Which gems?'

With widened eyes, ran the doe the few steps to her desk and turned on her little lamp. It almost felt like ripping the locket from her neck, as she took it in her paw but the chain was too hard and steady, to really make any damage. Under the direct light of the lamp, saw Judy that it was no joke from Nick, a purple gem for the bunny and a green one for the fox. She had mistaken it for simple color but it was more – real gems, well at least she thought so. Never in her whole life had she seen so colorful and shiny stones, she saw diamonds before yes, but those?

She forgot again the time around her and looked at this precious gift and thought of her own, which was in comparison...not more than a joke or so she thought. Maybe Nick would not even like it.

Still in her towel, she heard how Nick left the bath and stood behind her, his slow breathing beside her ears. He was still half dressed and just in need for a sweater. But this had time, it was warm enough in Judy's room to not freeze to death without one.

He leaned on the table right beside her and whispered seducing into her ear ,"The purple one is an amethyst and the green one an emerald. It thought they would resemble our eye color the best."

She didn't cried but she felt extremely sad about all of this. Not what he had gave her but what she could return, that was her major concern at the moment.

"Listen Judy, I have more than enough money and I don't know how to spend it. I just wanted to make you happy, that's all. If you don't like it, then just say it and I will take it back, okay?"

"That's...that's not it Nick. I love it, like I love you but THIS," Judy held her paw up with the locket in it, shiny and precious it laid there in her palm.

"This is just too much Nick. It's like the apartment, I know that you care for me but I have not the feeling that I deserved that...and I have the feeling in me that I can't repay you like you deserve it. I mean you did so much for me and I? I couldn't even say no to a stupid hare and send him home…"

"Judy?"

Her gaze went now completely to him and there it was it again, this warm smile, that told her, 'Everything is alright Carrots, nothing can separate us. Not money, not an apartment and especially not a stupid hare.'

"No matter how much I give you in my life, it would never be enough to repay you for the great thing you did to me."

A sad chuckle came from Judy echoed through the silent room. From outside came muffled noises, seemingly were a bunch of little bandit bunnies on their way for the next raid. Their aim? Maybe breakfast, maybe the snow on the yard or an empty barn, who knows. But this was at the moment not important, at least not for the two right here at the old desk, looking at each other.

"And what was that great thing I did to you? Getting you almost killed because an overachieving bunny wanted desperately to solve a case?"

"Ahhh good old memories, aren't they? But no Carrots, that's not what I meant."

Nick took her paws into his and squeezed them tightly, his look was warm but Judy could see that there was more, the old bitterness which he tried to keep deep inside was also there, lurking in the background.

"You gave me an aim in life, a partner, a best friend and what's most important the one that I love the most. If you ask me if this locket around your neck was expensive, I have to say yes, yes it was . . . but not for you. For you it feels just like the bare minimum I can do and if ever comes the time where I have to decide between all the stupid money I collected over the years and you, believe me I give it away with a smile and without a second thought."

He ended and both shared a short kiss and leaned their heads together, closing their eyes. Judy chuckled softly and went one, now more relieved but still with some worries in the back of her mind.

"You know slick, it was beautiful but also pretty cheesy."

"What? I thought you like something like that, Carrots?"

"Really," asked Judy almost laughing, "What make you think, I would like something like this?"

Nick turned around and leaned with his back against the small desk, his eyes facing towards Judy's full book shelf, scanning for some special books, which he found after some seconds and grinned.

"I don't know, I would say books like 'Storm of Love', 'The Woken Princess' and 'Not without You' tell me that you have something for such words Carrots," said Nick, teasing her like a child, which played even at an older age with toys made for babies.

Judy's happy face changed fast over in an embarrassed look, she didn't thought he would find her 'shameful' books so fast. Patricia would at this point breakout in laughter or fall into misunderstanding because she owned the same books, maybe even one or two, that were way more...explicit than the ones Judy owned.

But this was Judy, she liked them somehow but she also felt a kind of shame, everytime she looked at them and not even to mention, that she always had a high red head when she was reading in one of those books. And just for the case of visitors, she had spread them over the whole book shelf but maybe that was the problem. Order was a part of her life and mindset but this books were totally out of the order and arranged between some tidy ordered books or book series. For Nick it was easy, to spot the ones that didn't belong at those places.

'Stupid bunny, stupid, stupid, stupid...at least he didn't found my version of…,' thought Judy and watched Nick with wide eyes, how he walked relaxed (and still without a sweater) over to the shelf and picked with abnormal precision one book out of the masses, it was the book he never should find nor even read.

And before Judy could react properly, was Nick already clearing his throat, opening the book where the bookmark was and started to read without any kind of shame, no when Nick felt something right now, then it was pure amusement.

"So Judy, will you take my gift or do you want that I read you the best lines of this book?"

"What?"

This was Judy's only reaction, still not completely aware what happened in front of her.

"He's said such loving things today … But how long will he want to do this without wanting to beat the crap out of me," read Nick out loud, like a professional storyteller, reading for his dear audience.

'How could he…,' thought Judy desperately and felt how heat started to rise in her body, up to her cheeks and ears. He stood there and red lines from her hidden version of '50 Shades of Fur'. it took just a second until she realized it, 'He prepared this and waited just for the right moment! Nick knew it all the time…and now he...just goes on reading it out loud!'

"His voice is warm and husky like dark melted chocolate fudge caramel... or something," went Nick on, still without a grin on his face.

Judy dropped her head and walked ashamed but fast over to Nick, who by now leaned against her book shelf and went on reciting line for line from the book, that he probably marked. She didn't even recognized that she lost her towel, standing in front of him like on the first day of her life.

"Grabbing it quickly, I squirt toothpaste on it and brush my teeth in double quick time. I feel so naughty. It's such a thrill," said Nick, now with a faint smile on his lips.

Judy stood right under the book, raised her arms and closed it, with each of her paw on one hardcover side. Embarrassed, she looked up to him and spoke meekly.

"Okay,...you got me. I will take this locket and keep it, forever. But please, please stop reading it out loud and never do that again, it's embarrassing enough that I own it…"

"No."

"W-what no?"

"If you want that I stop, you have to do something for me," said Nick grinning to Judy, who started by now again to blush because of her current situation.

"Nick, . . . I'm standing naked in front of you, what else do you want from me," said Judy and had somehow to smile about the situation.

"Well," he said, looking slowly down at her with a grin that she knew quite good, "It's a good start but what I desire right now, even more like your fluffy grey body, is my Christmas gift, Carrots."

Her face brighten up but just for a short moment, before she thought of her present and compared it in her mind with Nick's. What she had was selfmade, maybe not even done well. Judy thought back to the work she had with the present, it took her three weeks, almost a kilogram of wool and every now and then a laughter from Patricia about the state her work was in. To give Nick no hint, she did all the work in Patricia's apartment. During the time of her work was Patricia playing on her piano and Judy sat in the armchair and worked on Nick's Christmas gift.

The bunny went over to her suitcase, shivering as she walked over to it. And decided that it was finally time to put some cloth on, she picked some undies, an old jeans and her Hopps Christmas sweater. Judy could feel how the warmth, she missed since she left Nick alone in bed, slowly returned. With a quick movement hide the doe the book, from which Nick recited just minutes ago, in her closet under a thick pile of really thick socks for really cold winter nights.

'No need to give him even more munition…,' thought Judy and took out her present and the one from her mother or better the whole family.

Not long and she returned to Nick, who made by now the bed, gentle mammal as he was and sat on it's edge to wait for her. In her paws a way to huge gift, which was wrapped in green gift paper with little candy canes on it. But on Judy's gift laid also a fine folded sweater in white, red and with three green pines on the chest. Smiling she stood before Nick and he took the sweater with a suspicious look into his paws, holding it up and away from him like a full diaper.

"What in the name of the all the holy mammals is that?"

After a second he looked at Judy, who stood there grinning in front of him and noted that she was a wearing a very similar sweater. White, red and a bit too big for her but on Judy's were three golden bells, all of them in movement or at least so it looked.

"Carrots,... what is going on here? I'm not sure if that is a crime or really a piece of clothing..."

"Oh, you shouldn't say that in front of my mum, Nick. She made it just for you."

"For...me? Okay what did I do wrong? Is this a punishment for something?"

"Nick….!"

Judy's facial expression changed slowly but Nick knew that it was time to stop the teasing, at last when he saw how her eyes fixated him and her right feet started to stomp on the ground, as if would say 'Not today Nicholas, not today.'

"Okay, okay...now what is this whiskers?"

"This, my dear fox, is a Hopps Christmas sweater. Everyone in the family has one."

"Everyone...in the...family? You mean…," Nick repeated the last words slowly and let them sink into his mind. His eyes widen a bit and the normally attentive ears of him, fell back. Judy smiled warm and sat herself besides him on the bed, giving him a little poke with her elbow. His tail started excited to swipe from one side to the other.

"Yeah, that's what it means Slick, see it as another welcome. And believe me, normally mum makes those things, when the male is finally married to the bunny of our family, or even much la…," like so many times before was Judy cut off by him. But this time she felt not even the spark of anger in her. Because as soon as he understood, he put the sweater on as if there was no tomorrow and almost crawled into the handmade piece of clothing or so it looked.

Smiling he grabbed his bunny and took her into a deep hug, Judy however chuckled about the sudden outburst from her other half. She knew just too good how rare this things were, normally hiding his emotions under a big grin.

Walking up to the mirror besides Judy's closet and standing in some normal and some less normal positions, Nick exclaimed finally to Judy, "You know, I saw some of your siblings and nieces in those sweaters and almost laughed but . . . you know what? Damn! I can wear this, I think it even suits me . . . but," Nick cleared his throat and walked back in front of Judy, "but of course I will wear this just to make your mum happy. Not that you . . . get some, well . . . wrong ideas and think that I like those clothing in general..."

'Yeah, yeah,' thought Judy and leaned herself a bit back on her bed and watched him with a smug grin, how he inspected his new self, ' no need to play the tough and cool guy in front of me...well let's see what he will say to my present.'

Without a word, stretched Judy the present in her paws up to him, leaving her head and ears dropped. Nick looked with a slightly tilted head and confused expression at her and took the package into his own paws. Still then, she didn't dare to look up, as if she feared his reaction.

The unpacking began and the sound of rustling paper was everything that filled the air at the moment, at least until Nick started to talk.

"Oh come on Carrots, I bet I like it. You do, as if you made the worst present ever for…me," but he stopped talking, not knowing at what he looked right now. Carefully he took it out and inspected it, just like Judy inspected his locket before. Inch for inch and not letting any part of it out. Like a little fascinated kit, he felt it with his paws until he was sure that it was one of the softest things he ever touched in his life. A loud laughter came from his mouth, a laughter only kids mostly produced when they woke up on Christmas, run down the stairs, unpacking their present without any expectations and then bam. They are just blown away.

And like a little kit he was just happy about the present from Judy, happy and almost ecstatic. It was a scarf but a special one, only made for him. The main color of the scarf was fox red, almost like his own fur. The one end had even a tail with a darker almost black tip, just like Nick's tail. But the stilistic head was the best, with it's little black nose, little red ears and green buttons as eyes. Judy had made a scarf out of Nick's image and he liked it, no he loved it. Maybe it was not perfect, here and there were little mistakes but Nick didn't cared, for him it was perfect and nothing would change his mind, ever.

"Nick… I know, it's nothing special but…"

"Are you kidding me? That is the best present ever! Myself as a scarf, Hah! What could be better? Judy this scarf is worth 10… no, no, no 100 of your lockets maybe even more! Because… because you made this on your own, all I can do is spend money and hope to fit your needs, but this…," said Nick smiled brighter than Judy ever saw from him.

And without waiting he wrapped the scarf around his neck, he had to do it several times because Judy was very generous with the length or to put it better, she brought too much of the wool and didn't wanted to waste it.

The head of the fox scarf hung over one of Nick's shoulders and the tail very loose over the other end. It was so thick, that Nick could easily hide his snout in the wall of wool, which he did.

"Y-you like it? ...you know it's too long. Maybe some mammals are right, when they say that I don't know when to quit…"

Again took the fox the bunny in a deep hug, lifting her up from the bed and letting her float through the air. Giggling followed the little flight in his arms.

"But, I'm glad you like it Nick."

"Oh you have no idea Carrots."

"What do you say Slick, ready for some breakfast?"

"Ready when you are partner."

Smiling took Judy her fox by the paw and went to the door but as soon as she wanted to push down the door handle, she stood still and thought for a moment about the news from her phone.

"You know...there happened things last night, which are already in discussion in the burrow and...yeah…," tried Judy to start but didn't know how to proceed.

"What? Ohhh! You mean that Jess tricked Nathan into sex with her? And then, good natured how our Nathan is, he didn't said no? Oh please, I knew that even before yesterday."

Confused dropped the ears of the doe and puzzled she looked at her fox, not knowing from where he could have this information.

"How do you . . . ? You didn't even checked your phone, so how?"

Nick took Judy's paw lifted it up and gave her a kiss on the back of her paw.

"I would say, In this case I would stick to the words of Void , which he once told us, 'I know things'," and smiling he opened the door for his partner.

 **Stella**

Slowly opened Stella her eyes but nothing changed and everything around her remained dark. She wasn't fully awake at that moment but felt that something heavy laid on her face and what is almost more important it was also something fluffy.

Her memories from yesterday night returned, one after the other. They brought the little ones to bed, Judy red a bedtime story for everyone and then . . . just darkness. Gosh . . . she couldn't believe that a story for kids had her sent to the bedtime land. But there was still this darkness and the more or less heavy weight on her face. She started a first try to open her snout, it worked but as soon as her fangs went down, returned a giggle from her nose.

Her brain now finally back at work, understood now what was going on her and what or better who the extra weight on her face was.

"Couwd you pwease stand up fwom my face," asked Stella into the darkness and the giggling of at least one bunny returned to her ears. But probably there were more, there was always more than one bunny, it almost seemed like a natural law to her.

"But you have so fluffy fur, aunt Stella," exclaimed the bunnies and rubbed their tiny paws against the place between Stella's ears, the same place where she showed Patty month ago her scars. Was that one of the Rose-siblings? Possible but there were so many of them...Nick could for sure differ them without a problem. Damned, they also smelled pretty much the same.

"Yeah, you do, you do!" shouted the next.

"I'm pwetty suwe I do but the fox attached to thwat fuw, is awake now and needs to stand up . . . so pwetty pwease?"

Finally! Someone lifted the weight from her head. Stella was still afraid to do something that could hurt the bunnies, even when Judy, Jess and Amanda assured her that they are pretty tough. For a moment she thought it was Patty, who helped her but as soon as she could open her eyes and saw what happened around her, she recognized the little black buck, who held the bunny in his paws, which laid seconds ago on her snout.

"You heard aunt Stella, didn't you Rose?"

The other bunnies, not caught from their relative run giggling out of the room, just Rose couldn't escape.

Stella thought that she saw her little savior yesterday already, if she could remember right he sat besides Nick and sung with him Christmas songs. And if her brain didn't made up any false memories, then he was the only son of Jimmy and Cathy, the only older black bunny in the whole burrow, her guide from yesterday and the one who raised those beautiful multicolored flowers, Patty was literally crazy about.

No one told her by now their story but she assumed a tragic one, because a liter with just one bunny? She didn't know why but having a tragic story in your own past made you more sensibel for others or at least she thought so.

"But . . . but Tommy," Rose wailed at her cousin but it was no use, Tommy dropped her off right besides him and said.

"No Rose, you heard our mum's, we should wake them for breakfast not go back to sleep."

"Meany!" exclaimed little Rose to her cousin, stuck her tongue out, jumped from the bed and run out of the door. A smile appeared on Stella's face as she looked after the bunny girl. And for the first time, she took a better look around. Of course she was still in jeans and her grey shirt, there was no time to change some cloth. Patty was still sleeping besides her and wore still the Christmas dress, one of her thumbs stuck in her mouth and this was one of the rare things, the young red vixen was not so proud about. As Stella found out and wanted to talk with Patty about this, she ignored her for half a day until Patty gave in and explained embarrassed, yeah there were really things that made Patricia Wilde feel embarrassed, that this was an old habit of hers and you know the saying, old habits die hard.

Stella had to assure her her that she would never tell anybody about this and in return told Stella her better half, that she has the habit to clasped to her at night like a pillow. Back then, Patty just starred fooled at Stella and said that this was even cute and in no way childish. In the end could both laugh about this but Stella had also to assure Patty, that those behaviour was in no way a problem for her. And it really wasn't.

All other bunnies, that laid in the night around or on Stella, were long gone and Tommy the last one in the room, besides Patty of course. Careful caressed Stella Patty's cheek and a smile flashed over the face of the still sleeping vixen.

"Good morning sunshine," said Stella in a warm tone to her vixen and slowly, almost in slow motion opened Patty her eyes looking around her but decided for herself, that it was not the time for her to stand up.

"Five more minutes…," mumbled Patty to Stella, snuggled her snout into the pillow in front of her and closed her eyes again. The arctic vixen sighed in return and said, "Fine, but just five, not more. The others are waiting for us."

"Let them wait…," were Patty's last words before a fine snoring could be heard in the room. Stella knew Patty was no morning mammal and needed her time. And for your own sake, you better gave her this time or she got grumpy. And the last thing you want in the morning, was a grumpy Patricia.

Stella got up and stretched her limbs, Tommy watched the show but said nothing until he saw how messed up Stella was from the night and the many bunnies, which laid around her.

"Oh no, your fur is all messy," said Tommy in an apologizing tone, almost as if he was the reason for her messed up fur. Brushing her fur would take too long now and so she decided for the faster and more practical way.

Stella smiled at him and said, "Do you want to see something cool, Tommy?"

Stella was maybe not so good with the most bunnies but she seemed to like Tommy and thought he could be a good beginning to come closer to them. Eagerly nodded the black bunny with a smile and watched her. She shook her whole body several times and puffed on this way her complete fur up, well at least at the places, where her fur wasn't covered with cloth. After this, all of the fur went slowly back to its normal position and remained neat and tidy there. No signs of a hard night on her anymore.

"Taadaa!" said Stella and raised her arms in an entertaining posture.

"Woooh! You never have to brush your fur! That's really cool!"

"See? Told ya. But . . . yeah, I can do this of course from time to time but it's still better to brush my fur."

A murmur came from the bunny bed.

"What is cool? And why are you two soooo loud?"

Woken from the loud noises around her, sat Patty upright in the bunny bed and looked at the two. But still not fully awake, her eyes blinked alternating, almost as if she was drunk or someone hit her hard on the head. Stella smiled at her and said.

"So. . . you are finally ready for breakfast, sunshine?"

Patty yawned with her mouth wide and also stretched her limbs, to bring some life into her body. She looked now directly at the two and both, Stella and Tommy, had to laugh.

"What?"

Confused watched Patty the two, switching with her gaze between them, the sleepiness still in her body. But there was something more, she understood that both laughed about her but she didn't understood why.

But the reason was pretty easy to get, once you saw her from both sides. Her left fur was fluffy and okay like ever but the fur on her right side was flat, like a wheatfield after a strong and windy summer storm.

"Aunt Patty," asked Tommy and walked some steps in her direction, "Can you also show me how you puff up your fur, to be ready?"

"Puff up my...what? Okay Snowflake, what did you showed him?"

Stella sighed but looked still smiling to Patty.

"Okay, darling look," said Stella and started to shook her body again, puffing up her fur and letting it slowly fall back into its place. But this time Stella looked directly into the eyes of her mate, giving her a seducing gaze.

"Woohoo!"

Replied Patty from the bed, her eyes now finally open and ears up. Not even 5 minutes full awaken and her dirty grin was already back in place, around her muzzle.

"Uhh Snowflake, if you wanted to turn me on, then you made everything right. You should keep that in mind for the next time, when we two are alone. I like it…," said Patty almost purring to Stella.

Maybe Stella would have taken that compliment, but right now she remembered very well, that there was still a little boy in the room. And how it was with little kids, their ears were very sharp. And even this time was no exception.

If looks could seal the mouth of other mammals, Patricia Wilde wouldn't speak for the next year, at least according to Stella.

Tommy however tilted his head and asked, only innocence and purity in his voice, with a puzzled face the two vixen.

"What does 'turn me on' mean?"

For a moment stood the perplexed Stella there and didn't know what to do. But then an idea came to Stella's mind, 'Yes, let her explain it. Let's see how she wants to drag her head out of this sling.'

"Yeah, Patty what does that mean? I'm curious as well."

But not even for a second vanished the grin from Patty's face.

"Oh Snowflake, I'm sure you know what it means and if not . . . I will give you later a private lesson and refresh your memories . . . "

The grin on Patty's face widened and Stella could almost hear her thoughts, whispering and seducing her until both ended like so many times before in bed together.

Blood rushed through the cheeks of Stella while she thought about this. Again and not for the last time in her life she thanked for her thick fur and laid her ears close to her head so Patty couldn't see their red inside. Her gaze started now to wander through the room and she needed to get a clear head and staring at Patricia wouldn't help her.

Patty however turned to Tommy and started to explain, she sat still on the bed and let her feet dangle over the edge.

"You know my little black bunny friend, if someone like me, who was veeeery tired and veeeery sleepy, saw something so cool like a puffed up white vixen, well you could say this started my day and turned me on, okay? Or . . . to put it easier . . . Oh yes, that's a good one! Do you know when your grandpa Stew start one of his machineries? Well, then he turns on the engine of one of them, to make them go and start their work, right? Do you understand what I mean Tommy?"

A big open mouth and frenetic nodding explained pretty well if he had understood it.

"See? And now, I think you can already go ahead and tell them that we will come shortly. Would you do that Tommy?"

Smiling placed Patty the request onto the little bunny and waited until he was gone.

Satisfied with this explanation and commissioned with a request, he turned around and run out of the room shouting some last words to the vixen.

"Okay! I will tell them! See ya later!"

A moment of silence passed where both vixen looked after Tommy and how he left the room, until Stella sighed again and turned smiling at Patty.

"Smooth solved darling, but one day I will find the words that make you speechless, Patty."

But the red vixen just kept grinning and held her right paw very lady like up to Stella, to gave her a signal to help her up.

"Oh Snowflake, I don't think that such words even exist in our language, maybe not in any language at all."

"We will see."

Carefully grabbed Stella Patty's paw and lifted her up from the bed. Light-footed as the red vixen was, took she the chance and wrapped her arms around Stella's neck, knowing that her arctic vixen was more than strong enough to hold her. Stella however laid her paws on Patty's hips, she could feel how skinny the vixen was underneath her dress.

Smiling stood the couple alone in the room, their muzzles just inches away from each other. Stella looked down at the smaller Patty and somehow Stella felt that it was time for a real good morning greeting, now where all little bunnies were gone.

"Good morning Miss Wilde," said Stella to the smaller red vixen. And like in an old play responded Patty almost purring to Stella, "And also, a good morning to you Miss Conroy."

Patty was now finally tired of waiting, she wanted her good morning kiss and closed the small gap between their muzzles. Her left feet was bend and pointed up to the ceiling, like in old black and white movies, where the romantic couple met in the park, walked together for a while and shared finally a romantic kiss on a bridge.

Joyful and full of excitement, danced a red and a white tail over the floor of the bunny bedroom. All around stuffed animals and dolls watching them silently but right now not even a hundred bunnies and no matter of which age they were, would bother the two right now.

Stella's paws wandered from Patty's hips, over her back up to her shoulder blades, where she let her paws rest and felt her vixen through the soft velvet of her dress.

"Oh my . . . I bet this will be a great day, after such a wonderful good morning," purred Patty into Stella's ear and ended her sentence by blowing into it. A shiver ran down on Stella's spine, which caused her tail to puff up and a little moan escaped her muzzle.

"I love you…," said Stella half loud and waited for a reply. She knew that Patty wasn't ready yet to respond to her in the same way. But she hoped that one day would come, where Patty would answer her with the words, she wanted to hear from her for so long. An answer, she wanted just from her and nobody else. And she didn't cared if it takes a year, ten or twenty. She would wait on her.

"I know Snowflake . . .," replied Patty and carressed the right cheek of the vixen, the smile on her face looked now somehow sad and a bit apologizing,". . . ,but please give me time."

Stella returned the gesture and carressed now the cheek of the smaller vixen, her smile still kind and warm. Patty leaned into Stella's paw, she enjoyed the touch of her partner and closed her eyes, softly moaning and waiting for Stella to end her little treatment for her, "I'm sorry Snowflake."

"Don't be . . ., take any time you want. You know I will wait for you, no matter how long it will take."

With closed eyes gave Patty her vixen a last deep hug before she parted, "I didn't deserve you, Snowflake. You're way to good for such a crazy fox as myself."

"Don't say that Patty, I think your just the right one for me. I even would say we complement each other, you keep me calm and . . . well . . . at least I try to keep you in check."

Both parted and took a step back but still holding each other by their paws. Patty was back to her old smug grin and Stella was more than happy about this, she hated it to see her sad and she knew, sad was not a state Patricia Wilde could long survive in. Angry, yes. Euphoric, oh yes for sure. Happy, well that was pretty much the standard config in which she ran all day, until her batteries were drained. But sad? No, a calm and sad Patty was nothing she wanted for too long.

"Come on, Snowflake. I think it's time for some breakfast or what do you say? This vixen here needs a tummy full of "

"I'm right behind you."

Stella knew, Patty would take her by her paw and lead her through the Hopps burrow. And this was for the better, because the arctic vixen was still confused about the many tunnels, rooms and halls in here. A maze was a joke against this.

Walking paw in paw, both crossed several times the way of some older bunnies, which greeted them friendly but also started to giggle, as soon they thought the two vixen were out of sight. Stella didn't mind it much and banned any thoughts quite fast from her mind.

Not even 10 minutes and Patty did it. She succeed in maneuvering them to the great Hall. But shortly before they could enter, sounded a familiar voice from behind them.

"Oh you two lovebirds, still clasping to each other?"

It was Jessica who approached them with a grin that would have made both Wilde siblings proud. But the two vixen didn't let go of each other, their paws still clasped tight together. Before Stella even could think of a smart reply, was Patty long shooting back at the cheeky bunny.

"What's up, Jess? Feeling lonely? If yes, then come here, I have still an empty paw for you," said Patty and blinked to Jessica, who just replied with her tongue,which she sticked out of her mouth. Both females grinned at each other, as they stood there.

"What do you mean with still," asked Stella confused.

"Wait? You two don't know it?"

"Jeez, . . . bunny, what are you talking about," asked Patty, slowly irritated from the mysterious behaviour of Jessica. Patty was in no way angered, but she was almost bursting out of curiosity.

"You two didn't looked at your phone today?"

"No?!" – "No?"

The answer came simultaneously from both mammals, a little magic trick that normally just worked between Judy and Nick. Jess raised her index finger to let them both wait for a moment and started to search something in her phone. Out of the blue felt Stella that something wasn't right, maybe nothing bad but still not in the correct order. Patty however, tiptoed from one feet to the other waiting, for Jessica and what she wanted to show.

As Jess held her phone up to the two, the difference in their facial expression couldn't be bigger. On the one hand we had Patty, grinning like the mask of theater who represented the comedy and on the other hand we had Stella, looking in massive disbelief at what she saw and impersonated just too good the second mask of theatre but not in such a tragic way.

Both looked at the picture Amanda had taken this morning and which was actually highly discussed. The two vixen, sleeping in the bed of the bunnies, Stella's left paw clasped to the right one of Patty, holding on to each other, even in the night. And on top of that, at least twenty little bunnies, who slept on top of them, covered by the tails of the vixen or snuggled at their bodies. It was in any way a more than adorable picture.

"Who . . . ," started Stella but didn't came far with her question.

"Amanda wanted to wake her daughters and stumbled upon this delightful picture in front of her. And . . . don't blame her but she couldn't just keep it for herself, so she posted it in the Hopps family group and since then you two sweethearts are the number one topic of the burrow. So . . ., what do you say?"

Stella tried another attempt but was immediately cut off by her vixen, who was more than happy about this picture. And so she decided to smile over this incident because it was cute, wasn't it? So why bothering? It's not like they were naked, no just sleeping with a bunch of bunnies, peacefully in the same bed.

"THIS! IS! GEORGEOUS! I want it Jess, please send it to me! That's my new background! NO! I made a poster from it. YES, that's good . . . NO, printed bed linen . . . That's it!"

"Oh Patty, already done. As soon as I saw it, I knew that you want to have it. And by the way what happened to your cheek fur?"

"Ah this, never mind. I moved a little less last night, like you could see. And you? You look pretty relaxed today, did you had a good night," the ambiguity in Patty's voice together with her wiggling eyebrows couldn't be mistaken and let no room for interpretation. It was clear what she was getting at.

Grinning replied Jessica to the two and both had an idea, what she was talking about. Nick had already told them, that she was more the open minded mammal, with none to almost no restrictions in her preferences of partner. Stella wondered till now even, that she hadn't made her and Patty an 'offer'. Well, she would declined it of course, Stella was way to jealous for something like this.

"Oh I had great night, not much sleep but still a great night. . . Anyhow enough from me, I think I get us beauties something warm to drink. Or what do you think?"

Both vixen nodded in agreement to her but said nothing. Jessica blinked, turned and went through the door into the hall and from there in direction of the kitchen, still writing something on her phone.

"Do you know what she meant and even more important, whom could she mean Snowflake?"

"No . . . Well I'm not sure . . . but I have an idea, who it might be."

"Uhh tell me!"

A new wave of excited came over Patty, best seen on her tail which swung fast from one side to the other.

"I think you will understand it soon by yourself."

Stella didn't answered her directly, Patty was smart, she would get it. Instead opened Stella one of the swinging doors, which lead into the hall and held it open for her. Stella's gaze wandered over the mammals who were already awake and in the middle of their breakfast. Mostly what she expected, chaos in combination with a lot of bunnies. Stella took a quick look at the one of the four clocks, that hung at each of the walls – 8:10 it's still pretty earlier, well for fox standards not bunny standards. Emilia seemed to be long back in the kitchen and directed like a general over twenty bunnies. Right now she gathered her troops and showed them how to cut a lot of, precise and with a huge knife. Bonnie however stood beside her and watched the older vixen, with growing concern in her eyes, as the bunnies started to handle the sharp kitchen tools.

But right at the table were they played cards yesterday, sat a bit lonely the black wolf and ate his time led Stella in front of Patty and dragged her along. Nathan didn't even recognized the two, he just sat there and stared at the wall in front of him, munching his cereals. Both vixen sat themselves opposite of him, on the other side of the table. No reaction.

Stella flipped her fingers loud in front of Nathan's muzzle but still — nothing.

"Is he okay? Maybe I should examine him," Stella heard that it was real concern, that sounded in Patty's voice and decided to tell her a bit about Nathan or at least a bit.

"No . . . He's fine. I know this behaviour from him. He and I talked a lot in the last month because we knew, that the two of us would be partners on the streets, as soon as we finish the academy. You know, we talked to learn about each other's weaknesses and strength. And this is definitely his biggest weakness . . ., If something is bothering him too much he shuts everyone out and his mind goes into a loop. This happened the first time after his first girlfriend left him. And honestly it is a heartbreaking story."

"Okay . . . what happened," asked Patty very careful, as if she knew that she stepped on emotional fragile territory. Stella however exhaled a last time deeply, took a last look at Nathan, who was still deep in thought and started the story of Nathan's first love.

"She was like him a child in the orphanage and both knew each other for a long, long time. If I remember correctly, then they met for the very first time on their first day of school. Well, she was bullied from some bigger predators and our dark knight here, stepped in and got terrible beaten. But since then they were both inseparable and spent every waking moment together. No matter how much time they spend together, they were never sure what they really felt for each other. One year ago, after a rainy day they finally found to each other and well, Nathan always said they did everything together and not just what you think Patty, with your dirty mind."

"Heyyy," Patty looked offended over to Stella,"That's not fair, I'm more of a classy girl than you think, Snowflake!"

Stella smiled soothing over to her vixen and carressed for a short moment her cheek, a little purr came from Patty and Stella knew that she was not mad at her. The arctic vixen continued with Nathan's story.

" . . . Anyhow they were basically like Nick and Judy or well . . . like we two. But there is a rule in this town, as soon as you became 19 in a Zootopia orphanage, you have to leave it because from there on you are an adult and no more a kid. You have to live your own life. Both were not sure what to do, Nathan wanted to stay and become a police officer. He always wanted to build something up in Zootopia, a home, a life and . . . well, a family. He's maybe younger than we are but from all of us, he and Judy are the most mature ones. But back to the story, she wanted to leave the city, travel through the world and find a place just for the two of them. Unfortunately it shouldn't come like supposed, she was two months older than him, which meant she left the orphanage also earlier – but she didn't waited on him. She left the city on her birthday without telling him and she never tried to contact him again."

"What a bitch! What kind of wolf would do something like that and then also to Nathan? I mean, we're talking about Nathan here and not some alcoholic, wife beating asshole..."

Stella face twitched for a short time, she fought with herself, not knowing if she could talk about this. Her eyes wandered for a short moment over to the wolf but his mind was still not here. The topic was also . . . Let's say delicate and she promised him, not to talk with anyone about it.

"Well she . . . wasn't a wolf. . ."

"Uhhh, now it gets really interesting. What was she then? A fox? Or maybe a bigger cat? Or . . . "

Patty shouldn't come up with more suggestions, Nathan cut her off, right in the sentence but at least he escaped his dream like behavior. Better than staring at the wall

"She was a deer and her name is Alice," answered the wolf short and continued now with staring in his bowl, filled with cereals and milk.

"Oh . . . ," was Patty's only reply, not really knowing if she should talk on or if she gone to far.

"Nathan . . . I'm sorry I shouldn't have told Patty about this."

But to Stella's delight appeared a smile around Nathan's muzzle, his gaze was now way more positive than a minute ago. Whatever had troubled him was gone or he tried to ignore it as best as he could. Stella knew he was no good actor to cover a bad mood, so whatever it was, it was gone – at least for now.

"Nah, it's fine. I thought you told her anyway? I mean she is your mate and I didn't mind if Patty knows it. I don't mind if any of our little suicide squad knows," replied Nathan chuckling and Patty pointed with her left paw over to Nathan.

"See? He thinks I should know it! You know what? I want an apology from you Snowflake! For my so-called 'dirty mind' and the reason that I shouldn't know it," and with those words crossed Patty her arms before her chest and waited with her head up high for an reply.

But Patty also started to grin at Stella, like a little school kid, that won an argument against an adult and this was also the exact way Stella felt at the moment. Tricked by a kid. The arctic vixen just sighed about all of this and exclaimed loudly.

"Fine Patty! I'm sorry! I'm deeply sorry for overestimate your dirty mind and not telling you everything about Nathan. From now on I will tell you everything about him and his life, deal?"

"Deal!"

Exclaimed Patty and just then, seemed Nathan to realize what he did, his eyes widen and he tried to contain the damage . . . but it was already too late for that.

"What? No! That's not what I meant . . . ahhh dammit. Anyhow you can forget the story, I'm over her."

"Over whom?"

Asked the new arrived Judy and Nick, both with a smile on the lips and sat themselves right besides Nathan. For a moment tried Nathan to interpret the gazes from the fox and the bunny, but this was a task not so easy to accomplish. Judy for example shone all over her face, who knew why and Nick hid his face behind a very long fox shaped scarf, his muzzle almost not visible.

"Ehmm . . . we talked about Alice, you know my girlfriend . . . I told you about her."

"Ah . . . she! We thought you would talk about . . . mhm . . . someone else," said Judy trying not to grin too much and took a bowl from the stack which stood in front of her and started to fill it with cereals and milk. Nick however stood up and excused himself, his morning dose of tea waited for him in the kitchen and with some luck, had his mum already boiled some leaves for him.

For a moment fell silence, over the mammals on this table in the big hall of the Hopps burrow. Around them dozen of bunnies trying to eat, play and planning already their day. Stella and Patty joined the example of Nathan and Judy but instead of cereals tried they the fresh baked bread from Bonnie Hopps with some homemade marmalade, Judy had always praised the bread of her mum and said that it was no comparison to the bread you got in the city. And she was right. For Stella it was a complete different taste, she thought about it and tried to find the reason for the great flavour. Maybe the countryside? Or maybe the fresh air out here but she had abandoned both ideas rather quickly. Her mum also had baked bread back in their home but she couldn't remember that it ever tasted as good as this. And one thing was sure, countryside and fresh air were two things, they had more than enough in Fairbanks.

After ten minutes returned Nick with a cup of tea in his paw, a grin on his face and Jessica walking besides him with a big can of coffee. Shortly behind them followed Elliot, the beaver had like always an IT related piece of cloth on, this time it was a thick sweater in black with a bright yellow font on his chest that said, 'I tried making things idiot-proof but they keep making better idiots.'

Nick placed himself again besides Judy. Playing the great hostess, Jessica first gave everyone, who wanted it a cup of coffee and placed then the can in front of Judy and sat herself besides Nathan, who took a quick look at her. Jessica returned the favor and smiled up to him. Judy however looked at the big can and then at her fox.

"Couldn't you take the can for my sister, Nick? It's kinda big . . . "

Most of the bunnies around them were gone and the little odd group remained almost alone in the big hall, apart from two juvenile bunnies, which were sentenced by Emilia, to clean the tables for the big festive dinner today.

"Oh I would have taken it but I think Jess proofed last night, that she can handle big black things quite good."

The reaction on this statement were very mixed on the table, Judy tried to hold in the sip of coffee she took seconds ago, Elliot broke into laughter, Nick grinned on as if nothing happened, Stella chuckled a little bit but also tried to keep it together. Nathan however looked with a scolding glance over to Jessica, she whoever just shrugged her arms and smiled soothingly back to him. The only one who didn't know what was going on was Patty. With a bored gaze she asked to all in the group.

"Okay, what did I miss?"

Stella leaned to her and started to whisper the needed information in to her ear. Widened eyes, followed by a dirty green appeared one after the other on Patty's face. That were news she liked to hear in morning.

"Nathan! You little devilish seducer! Something like that, I thought maybe of Nick but not from you. Congratulations Casanova."

The so-called Casanova had his face deep into his right paw, which leaned on the table. After Patty ended, turned Nathan to Jessica, who sat right besides him. He sounded tired and also disappointed from the revelations.

"Jess we had a deal and there was just one rule! No talking about this one-time thing."

Offended by his words, turned the doe defensive to him. Her purple eyes sparkled up to him.

"I didn't talked! If you want to know who the blabbermouth is, then you should ask El over there! He saw me, how I left your room. I kept my word, unlike you! We said no kisses and you gave me a smooch on my head!"

Switching in seconds from her offended face to her smug grin, she added in a very seducing voice.

"Also . . . for a one-time thing, are three times in a row pretty often Mr Graham."

The discussion between both went on, they didn't even recognized that Nick left together with Jimmy and Tommy the table for a while, both had also just finished breakfast with Cathy and discussed now something with the fox. But he returned quite fast, even before the argument was settled. And to everyone's surprise, ended Patty the discussion with a simple question.

"And? Are you two a couple now?"

Both went instantly silent and looked first with big eyes at Patty and then at each other.

Jess finally ended the silence and exclaimed for herself.

"We? A couple? No, no, no. This puppy here is a little bit to young for me."

"Puppy? Thank you Miss Hopps. I will keep that in mind."

Both looked with with anger in their eyes at each other.

"Oh please, get a room you two . . . maybe this time the one from Jess?" said Nick and all eyes went slowly to him and even Jess and Nathan chuckled about his little joke.

"Okay, now that I have your attention, Carrots any suggestions for the day?"

"Not really, but you sound like you have one?"

Nick started again to grin and laid out his plans for us. He looked quite funny with his way to big scarf and the sweater, like someone who almost freezes to death.

"Well, I promised Tommy and Jimmy yesterday, that I would join them ice skating and I bet my dearest bunny will follow me onto the ice?"

"Your bunny would follow you everywhere Mr Wilde, so count me in," replied Judy enthusiastic and with fast wagging tail.

"Splendid! What is with the others, El maybe?"

At first looked the beaver at Nick, confused and didn't know what to say, then he started heartly to laugh. Everyone started to look around with a questioning gaze but even Nick didn't understood what was going on.

"Is that a yes?"

"Ohh, you were serious about the question? Okay, let me respond with another question Nick. Why on earth have even my stupid ancestors build this dams and underground tunnels, which they lived in? I bet not to leave it in the middle of winter and go ice skating. So, no I have servers to hack, scripts to write and mails to check, maybe tomorrow. . . And by the way, there is a little fireplace waiting for me . . . I also think, we fall in love with each other, you know? Oh and her name is Rebecca by the way," explained El with a smile and blinked with his left eye into the crowd, a small wave of chuckling went through the little group.

Nick sighed and shrugged, "Fine, a simple no, had also did it but okay . . . so Loverine and Judy number two, what's with you? You can say it, if you two sweethearts have other plans…maybe together?"

Tired and definitely not in the mood for jokes, looked Nathan down to Nick, who was at least two heads smaller than him. But there was no fear in Nick's eyes, just the will for more teasing.

"You will not let go of this so easily, right?"

"Oh Nathan, you should know me better by now…,"replied Nick and looked around to the ones who had said by now nothing about their day, "Come on guys, the more the merrier!"

Nathan exhaled deeply and said, "Okay, count me in, I think some fresh air will be good for me..."

"...And I will join you as well, it's a while since Judy and I were ice skating on the lake together, or Juju?"

Nathan didn't overwhelmed with joy but he would survive it.

"Yeah . . . it's been at least four years. Gosh, I was so absorbed from the police officer training on the last Christmas holidays."

"Hah, you can't imagine Nick! Jimmy and I had to carry her out of her room, so that she joined the dinner with us. And still, she was grumpy as hell, or sis?"

"Maybe…," said Judy in a low voice and looked embarrassed in her bowl, ordering with her spoon the last pieces of cereal in a way only she seemed to know.

Nick turned to the last couple on the table and both already waited for his attention. They looked interested at him, Stella drinking her last sips of black coffee and Patty took her time drinking her milk with way too much honey in it.

"And you two?"

Patty grinned like always at her brother and said calmly, "Listen brother, I give you my vixen, for the time at the lake but I want her back and of course in the same condition she is now in. No scratches, no bruises and for almost no unhappy face, are we clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," replied Nick to his sister and made a little salute.

"What?. . . wait, I thought we could spend some time together," asked Stella with hanging ears and a sad face. But her red counterpart didn't seemed to accept this reaction from her. She touched her right cheek careful with her paw and stroked several times over it.

"Don't worry Snowflake, we will. But now I want to tune the piano, as long as everyone is gone and it is calm. I have somehow the urge to play, you understand that, don't you?"

With the end of the sentence drew Patty her paw back but gave Stella a little nudge with her index finger on the black nose of the arctic vixen. Stella smiled about the treatment and accepted slowly the delayed time with the one she loved like crazy.

Nick looked at his phone and exclaimed loudly, "Okay boys and girls! I have the feeling this will be an eventful day, It's now almost 9 am and I think we met up in front of the burrow by around 10, alrighty?"

After this last information dissolved the group slowly and stood up, spreading over the huge burrow, into their rooms and preparing for the upcoming ice skating. Stella and Patty followed at last and needed on the way to their room multiple times the help of various bunnies.

To their big surprise had the bunnies, written their names on the door. Stella's name in white and Patty's in a bright red. Excited stood Patty in front of the door and waited for Stella to open it. In the half dark of the hallway seemed the Names almost to glow here in the dark.

"Come on, come on. I want to see it!"

But Stella who was still a bit moody about Patty, didn't understand the excitement of the vixen.

"What's wrong Patty...I mean, it's just a door with a room behind it?"

Patty's mouth dropped, as if she couldn't believe what she heard from her Snowflake. Or as if she missed something very important here, something from emotional value. Calm but with a warm smile, took Patty Stella's right paw into her smaller left one and asked her.

"Can't you see it?

Stella saw it but couldn't understand. She couldn't understand that something so normal, yes even trivial, has a higher value for Patricia.

Confused looked Stella another time at the door and then at her mate, who looked up at her with wide eyes, that almost seemed to shine. But Stella still didn't understood and she felt how a deep sadness was rising in her chest. And this feeling in her was something she understood. She disappointed Patty, for not understanding good or fast enough and for this, she wanted to turn away. But again Patty don't let her and Stella thought for a moment, 'For such a small vixen that ate the whole day just sweets, was she pretty strong.'

"Patty, why. . . ?"

Patty spoke to Stella in a calm and teasing way but didn't let go of her hand.

"Dumb arctic vixen, are all of you so stubborn? I told you, I don't let you go anymore and I mean it," said Patty in the half dark of the corridor, happy screams of little bunnies echoing through it but both couldn't care less about this now.

Never before had Stella saw a warmer and happier smile on Patty's face, as she raised her left paw, in which she still held Stella's paw. With little effort let the red vixen stroke Stella's paws over the names written on the door and began to speak with a calm and emotional voice.

"I know it's nothing big Stella but seeing this door, this very first door with our two names on it, made me feel . . . I don't know . . . incredible happy. Because they see us as one and not just as the two vixen, who have something for each other. They accept us."

A small pause followed, during which she let go of my paw and crossed her arms behind her back. Smiling she continued.

"You know, they also have written Nick's name beside Judy's, on her door."

Stella felt how her smile returned and Patty was right, to see their names beside each other really made her happy. Why couldn't she see it sooner? Why was she always so goddamn pessimistic? After a while looking at the door, she could hear Nick's voice echoing through her head, 'Old habits die hard, trust me.'

"How do you know that about Judy's door?"

"Oh, we walked past it on our way here. Did you know that her second name is Laverne?"

Chuckling replied Stella, "What? Really? Oh gosh, I bet she don't want that we know that. . .say Patty, do we want to go in?"

"Mmhm . . .yes . . . but you will carry me over the threshold. You know bridal style and without bumping my head, do you hear me?"

"What," asked Stella confused but Patty didn't give her time to rethink it with her right paw she opened the door and swung it open. Behind it appeared a little room, cozy and neatly furnished. Some meters behind the door was a small table for two, with a round window behind it, giving a view over the garden. On the left of the room was a bed, big enough for both vixen with their luggage at the end of it. A closet, a small bath and a bookshelf with some older pieces of literature.

"Make yourself ready, Snowflake," said Patty and looked up to her vixen but this time with her typical grin. Stella didn't understood fast enough but reacted how Patty had planned it.

Patty turned over to Stella, wrapped her arms around Stella's neck and jumped into her arms. Stella saw the skirt of her dress flying through the air and could react just in time, to let the red vixen land in her arms and not on the wooden ground of the burrow.

Both faces were now just inches away from each other and Patty started to recite a line from an old poem, she had to learn in school.

"And if you're not willing, my force I'll employ,"

Stella laughed loudly about Patty's sense of humor and exclaimed jokingly, "Fine, I'll carry you over the threshold . . . tse and we're not even married mammals."

Patty snuggled her snout into Stella's warm white fur on her neck, her snout directly at her ear. With a grin she whispered to Stella.

"Not yet."

The words echoing through Stella's head, sending a shiver down her spine and causing the fur on her tail to stood up. Smiling and very careful she carried Patty over the threshold of the small room but not without forgetting to close the door behind her.


	22. Of Pianos, Canes and Memories

**Patricia**

Patty, smiling, followed Amanda through the huge burrow with her paws in the pockets of her dress. Her aim was maybe the grumpiest inhabitant of this home and maybe it was not her best idea to ask him for the tools to tune the piano... but on the other paw was Patty not always known for her good ideas.

She thought, that she maybe could soothe him with her appearance and wore because of that one of her prettiest dresses, at least this was her opinion about it. The dress was light blue and typical Christmas candy canes were printed on it. She added a small green jacket to this and a white, thick petticoat because of two reasons, first today she felt more like the classy girl which needed her full 'uniform' to make a good first impression and second, it warmed her a little bit up, because some parts of the burrow, could still be pretty cold. Stella even suggested she should wear some pants . . . ,'Pants . . . ridiculous' was the only thing she answered her dear Snowflake and send her out of the room to meet up with the others. They shared a short but intense fun time under the shower together. 'She really thought, I would let her go without a little bit of fun, even after she carried me over the threshold. My little Snowflake.'

Amanda looked back at Patty and saw just a dreamy face and a wide smile on her muzzle.

"Are you okay Patty?"

"What? Oh, ehm yes. . . just some . . . mhm . . . pleasant memories," answered the red vixen, her grin turned from the dreamy one to a neutral in an instant. She banned the thoughts into the back of her mind and thought that some small talk for the walk wouldn't be too bad. Two bigger steps from her and Patty was directly besides Amanda.

"So, Amy where is your buck? Because I assume you have one, after I saw your little fluff monsters?"

Amanda smiled up to Patty. It was a heartwarming smile, just like the one she knew from Bonnie. Amanda was slightly smaller than Judy but had in comparison to her brown eyes and grey-brown fur but still the typical white fur in the middle, from chin over to the chest.

"Oh, you mean Steve, he is working his last shift right now and then he can finally start with Christmas holidays. He is working in a mine nearby, together with some of his brothers . . . Say Patty, are you really sure you want to go to Pop? Even we avoid him and well, we are . . . you know . . . ."

"Bunnies? And what's more important, his family . . . Yeah, yeah, don't worry I understand." said Patty directly and with a sarcastic smile to the doe. They also met no other bunny for quite some time now, in this part of the burrow. Even they didn't want to come here, he?

Amanda scratched her neck and looked excusing up to her, ". . . yeah, somehow . . . please don't be mad."

"Why should I? I mean it's the truth. So tell me Amy, why is the old buck so damn bitter, that he not even wants to see his own family? And how old is he anyway?"

Silence for a moment, in which Amanda was thinking about the things she was going to say and like Bonnie, was she folding her paws in front of her.

"He should be 80 by now and we don't really know why he locked himself away but . . . our Grandma died 6 years ago, that was the time were he started to live on his own . . . tragic I tell you. He stopped eating with us, sitting outside and watching the little ones, talking to us. And to all of this, he just accepts food from Jess or Cathy and only the both know why."

"Sounds almost like a heartbroken fox to me," said Patty and looked with a serious gaze back at the bunny. Amanda just smiled about Patty's last sentence, not taking it really serious.

"You mean that as a metaphor, right?"

"Mmh, no. I mean it literally. Most foxes, not all, search just for one mate in their life. If they have found them, they stay, no matter what and until the end of time. Well, if the time for the partner comes to go and the fox remains, then . . .," Patty broke her sentence and thought about Nick, how close he was to Judy and what he would do, if there would happen something . . . Or what would she do herself?

'Stop it! That's not the time for such thoughts! But . . . When is then?'

"Then . . . What?"

Amanda broke Patty free of her thoughts but she needed some seconds to find the right words.

" . . . Then the fox . . . well, almost every time, follows shortly after. Because of sickness or through his own free will."

The gaze of the doe darkened and her voice sounded now very sad. Patty assumed that Amanda regretted to ask this question.

"Ohh, That's . . . sad. I didn't know this. Is there really no way around?"

'Around? That's was a funny way to look at things,' thought Patty but just shook her head.

"Unfortunately not, it's hardwired in our brains, an old mechanism to prevent overpopulation. And with old I mean from our ancient days, prehistoric . . . well evolution isn't so fast after all. Gosh, if you heard all that, you could say that foxes didn't changed much over the time. . . ," a sudden laughter overcame Patty as she thought about this and continued, " . . . maybe that is the reason, why we foxes are often so damned stubborn."

"Oh believe me, there are also a lot of stubborn bunnies around . . . speaking of one, we are here." said Amanda and stopped, as she saw that they had arrived at their aim. Both stood in front of the, for bunny standards, high double sided door which lead to the old and grumpy buck. Like on all the other doors in the burrow, stood here two names. Otto and Eveline,

'Well Otto, I hope, we will have a good time together,' thought Patty.

Patty took her left paw out of her pocket and laid it on her hip, a deep exhaling followed.

"Fine Amy, wish me success," said Patty and laid her left paw on the door handle.

"You mean luck, aren't you?"

"Nah, luck is for weaklings, I prefer what I could achieve on my own and no random factor . . . forget it bunny," said Patty grinning to the confused looking Amanda besides her.

"Wait! There is one thing I should tell you because . . ., well it maybe affect you personally, if you still want to have the tools for the piano..."

A confused look was on Patty's face as she turned her head back to her little companion. This doesn't matter now, she was here and so she would also try to pull it through.

"Okay, tell me."

"The piano . . . it belonged to my grandma, she was the only one who could play in the Hopps family . . . , I'm sorry I wanted to tell you but you were so happy . . . and I couldn't bring it over my heart . . . and I bet he will not allow it."

Another deep exhale from Patty and she turned back to the door, in front of her. 'Should she really do this? Bullshit! Patricia Wilde never turns away from problems! Never,' thought Patty.

"Don't worry, I can handle him," said Patty, knocked on the door, pushed the door handle down and stepped into the dark of a little corridor in front of her.

The door was closing with a screeching sound behind Patty and Amanda stood still there, in the half dark of the cold corridor, not knowing if she should wait here or go back to Emilia and help her with the meal preparations. Two minutes, so long could Amanda wait before she turned around and shook her head, while she walked the way back. Half loud talking to herself she exclaimed.

"Poor vixen, I hope he will not hurt her."

"Hello?"

No reaction.

"Hello ho? Anybody at home?"

Still nothing and Patty already thought about the possibility, if something had happened with the old buck. She was standing in the entrance area of a little apartment, with all the things you could await here, some jackets mostly in blue and red, one of those rough and bristly rugs that almost anybody had at home and that you use to clean your feet from the daily dust, two caps of the sort mostly just the oldtimers wore.

Right now, she was more than happy about her good night vision, it was almost complete dark in here, but she did not dared to switch the lights on. 'Yes Patty, if you scare him to death than do it in darkness, that's what bunnies want. Spend their time in the darkness with an unknown predator. - Okay maybe it was better to turn the lights on.'

She walked up the floor, left and right hanging old pictures of the Hopps family. On some of them she recognized familiar faces Judy, Jess, Jimmy, Bonnie, Stu and Amanda but much younger of course. On the right side was a door standing slightly open, but there were just tiles on the floor, Patty assumed a bathroom and went on. The end of the little corridor was reached.

"Hellooo, anybody here? I just want to ask for something to borrow! Promised!"

Again echoed her voice into the darkness but no answer was coming back to her. She stood now directly on the doorstep to the next room, on the left was a rustic kitchen, the interieur were covering three walls, to the right was a living room, with two armchairs, a table and some chairs, bookshelves and even more pictures on the wall. Directly in front of her stood a wheelchair but without the awaited buck in it, behind it were two long and shut curtains, likely with a balcony behind it.

Patty searched at first the light switch on the right side and found them instantly, directly to her left was the corridor door wide open and leaning against a kitchen closet. She turned the lights on and made two more steps into the room but more should not be possible for her. Stumbling about something on her way, she tried with both arms to contain her balance but it was too late for her.

The fall was hard and painful but she was used to the feeling from her youth, back in the days when she played every day with Nick and both ran over and over through the whole house, chasing each other. But her heart disease, didn't allowed it her to run for a longer time but she didn't know better, like most kids didn't know what was good for them. Well, we were all dumb once, weren't we? From time to time, she lost her consciousness and woke up with an afraid Nick right before her eyes and a snout that hurt like hell. She could not even remember how often she had fallen on her snout, it was a miracle that she still had all teeth, where they belonged.

Slowly, she turned around looking what exactly laid in her way. Her right paw was on the ground, supporting her to sit on her butt, with the left paw she was looking if all her teeth were also this time still in place. Maybe she stumbled upon a pot or . . .

"What do you want here, devil!"

It didn't took her long to conclude what brought her down, this time it was not her heart but an old bunny with a cane. Grey, old, bent over and with a shaking right paw, looked the buck over his pair of glasses, down to the vixen. The buck held the cane in front of him like a weapon, as if Patty would stand up in any second, jump at him, break his neck with her fangs and eat him for lunch.

"Au, that hurts! What did I do to you, old mammal," exclaimed Patty with a little anger in her voice. The old buck was holding onto the edge of a chair to his left, so as not to fall down.

"You came to my home! So tell me, what you want from me, FOX!"

The rejection in the bucks voice couldn't be greater and Patty was more than happy, that he didn't collect weapons as a hobby.

"Please, help me up and I explain mys- auuh! What was that for," Patty couldn't even end her request for help. For a moment she thought, the old buck would hold his cane to her and help her up. But nothing could be further from the truth, he used it just to give her a painful hit on her left paw, with which she tried to reach for the cane.

'Great! Now my muzzle and my left paw are hurting like hell. Maybe I should have gone ice skating with the others,' thought the red vixen and stood slowly up by her but kept an eye out for the buck.

"And now tell me, who are you and what do you want from me!"

"Wait a second…," responded Patty grumpy. Her dress was no longer perfect in place and so she started at first with fixing herself up and took her time. But the old buck had no patience for the likes of a young vixen and so he tried again to poke her with his cane. Unfortunately for the old buck was Patty this time faster and she grabbed the cane with her left paw and held on to it. Pop had no longer the strength; he had back in his old days, when he could work on the fields for hours without any break or interruption.

"Stop it . . ., " yelled Patty at him and grabbed the cane out of his paw. The force of the vixen almost sent him to the floor but his left paw was still clasping to the chair besides him, the only reason why he was still standing.

Patty had enough of the half-dim ceiling light in here and the old buck of course, she walked over to the closed curtains and opened them with an eloquent move. Natural light flooded the little apartment instantly and revealed the coziness in here. It was a perfect place for an old couple.

Old grandpa Hopps was still standing at the chair and watched carefully what Patty was doing, it didn't happen often this days that he gets disturbed and then also from a fox. She didn't get nervous from his looks, instead she looked interested back at him, scanning him from ear tip to toe. Patty didn't moved instantly back to him, she took her time and turned to the window, the view was nice. The garden, fields, some other burrows in some distance and some birds in the clear blue sky — a great view, if you could appreciate it.

Patty took a deep breath and looked a last time over the pure white Hopps garden in front of her, the Rose siblings were building a snow bunny but couldn't decide if they should attach a carrot to it or not — in the end, they shared it and everyone took a bite from the vegetable. How they walked munching back to the burrow, in their cute and thick winter dresses was more than adorable.

While Patty turned around, she took on her best smile and tried to look friendly over to the grumpy buck.

"My name is Patricia Wilde but you can call me Patty, like anyone. I'm a close friend of your granddaughter Judy, you know . . . the grey one with the purple eyes, who became a police officer . . . ," Patty wasn't sure if she had explained enough or if she should go on.

" . . . She had this big case with the disappeared mam. . .," continued Patty but was harshly interrupted from the old buck, as he stomped with his left leg on the ground.

"I know my granddaughter, you don't have to explain her to me! And now give me my cane back, fox!"

Patty puffed up her cheeks and crossed her arms in front of her chest, the cane clamped under her left arm.

"I have a name and you Sir are very rude!"

He got more angry and was now almost shouting but Patty could see clear, that his right arm was trembling but not from anger.

"I'm rude? Pah! Foxtalk! You came here uninvited! Snooping around and searching for something! I bet you want to steal from me, damned fox! You are all the same, without exception. So, what do you want to steal from me? My money, the jewelry of my dead wife or do you want to eat me, heh fox girl . . . ?"

The old buck was panting heavy and tried to control his breath, Patty assumed that this was the hardest workout he had in a long time. And what was more important right now, he was fully occupied with his own state and couldn't concentrate on her. A perfect time for Patty to took a closer look at the old buck.

And there it was again, the years she spent studying the biology, physiology and chemistry of mammals. All the books she red, the exercises she had made to perform operations or other treatments to mammals and of course the long years of work in the hospitals. But she did it, she mastered all of them and was now a real doctor, someone who was here to save lives or at least that's what she always thought.

A professor, to be precise a 53 year old goat with an impressive heights, once told her and other students during a visit of patients a little anecdote, one she would never forget but also wanted never to come true for herself.

'Dear future doctors, I will tell you a little secret. At a certain point in your career, you will stop seeing mammals in front of you, from this point on you will just see diagnosis and symptoms. And at this point you can be sure to be professional medical doctors.'

Patty hoped that this point in her life would never come for her, she feared it, like other feared death. Because she thought that from this point onward would everything be meaningless for her. Cars, a fridge and a laundry machine or mammals, where was the difference from this point of view? It was just another diagnosis here and some symptoms there. But she saw it already happen to her colleagues and the ones with whom she spend so much time studying, they start to forget the mammals, ignore their names, their questions, their past – because it was easier and made you more professional.

Of course, she could see just the symptoms and diagnosis in front of her and ignore everything else. Parkinson, no doubt about it.

However there was more, Patty saw a loving grandfather who feared to be a burden for his family, who was ashamed for the things that happened to him, to pride to accept help. So he locked himself away and waited. Maybe for help, for change or things would become better over time, hopefully from alone. However, it never got better from alone, Patty knew that, sometimes you need a helping paw, if you want it or not. You don't believe it? Well, ask her brother.

Patty stood up and walked back to the buck, without fear this time because there was nothing to fear. There was no angry monster in front of her just an old buck that was unable to help himself or to accept help. She understood what he was and that was not what he showed. Because a symptom is not the disease and anger is always just a symptom.

Slowly he regained his constitution and looked up to Patty, who stood right in front of him. The fabric and the petticoat of her dress crackled softly, as she kneeled down and took his right arm into her paws to examine it.

She almost knew what would happen but didn't do anything against it but she also didn't let go of his right arm. Of course tried the old buck to free his arm but he had no success and choose the last option he saw for himself in this situation. He swung his left paw and Patty waited for the impact.

And there it was, she could feel the light pain as his left paw hit her. But she didn't winced, she only swallowed as soon as she tasted the blood in her mouth, not much but it was there. Patty's head was now slightly turned to the left but she didn't stopped and didn't let go of him.

"Let go of me, you damn vixen."

"How long?"

"How long what?"

The buck was staring in Patty's eyes, the anger was almost gone and all that was left now, was confusion.

"How long didn't you take your medicine? Is it since your wife died? Did she brought the medicine for you and now you don't want to tell anybody else?"

"How did you . . . Pah! That's none of your business, fox," he replied almost hissing at Patty.

He tried to turn away but Patty didn't let go of him, she knew she was pretty strong and even in his best days he couldn't have done anything against her.

"This is my business! If you believe it or not, I'm a doctor and I swore an oath to save lives and help those who suffer. You maybe turn away from your problems but I won't!"

"Pah, I don't suffer."

"No, you are the sunshine of this family. . .," said Patty with a little bit too much sarcasm in her voice but continued without waiting for a reaction.

"You locked yourself in here, just receiving two meals a day and waiting . . . for what? The end? If that isn't suffering, then I don't know what else is . . . And believe me there are much worse things than a relative who is sick. You have family, right here. They would help you goddamnit!"

His gaze had become hard and bitter again, staring now almost through her. Patty felt that he was closing in again but not before throwing some more dirt around him.

"What do you know about being sick! You are young, you are in the prime of your youth, carefree and everything, pah! Even if you are a doctor, you don't know how it is to be sick without cure . . . wait . . . what are you doing there fox girl?"

Without any words started Patty to unbutton her light green jacket with her right paw, clasping with her left paw still his right one. The confusion in the eyes of the old buck was overwhelming, he had no idea what was happening here in front of him but he would soon understand.

Silent opened Patty the jacket and revealed a circular cleavage, the fluffy white fur on her chest was all that the buck could see right now. He thought that this was trick, something to fool him but it was not.

Without concern or any sign of shame, took the red vixen the left paw of the old buck and went with it through her chest fur. Her eyes staring at his and at first she saw that he blushed slightly but it was not long until he understood.

An almost fainted scar was all that Otto Theodor Hopps felt under the white fur on Patricia Wildes chest but no matter how weak the scar was, he felt how long it was, it went over her complete breastbone, maybe even further. But he couldn't say for sure. Slow but steady and with an sincerity in her voice, that was untypical for the young vixen began she to speak.

"I was born with a congenital heart disease and spend because of this a long time of my life in hospitals. My complete metabolism is different, I'm smaller than I should be, I have a weaker constitution, under to high pressure or if I'm too exhausted I can become unconscious or worse and a pregnancy would literally kill me. I know what it means to be ill without a cure. My brother is always optimistic about my lifespan but I'm honest with you, I am not. And for this I have to use my time as best as I can, to spend six years like you in an apartment, alone by myself . . . what a waste of time."

Otto had not met many mammals in his life, who were so open and direct to him. He liked such behaviour and somehow, he did not know why, he liked her. All others who came to him, went away but not she, she staid and that because of his mistakes, because of his anger. She remembered him from someone of his past, someone important but he could not lay his finger on it, maybe the memory would come back to him but right now there was just a blurry image of fading memories.

'Maybe are those foxes not so bad after all,'thought Otto.

She took his paw from her chest, letting now finally loose of his both arms. His right paw started instantly to tremble again, as soon as no one was holding it back. Patty started to close her jacket and continued talking with him in the meantime.

"We can't choose if we get sick or not but we can choose how to deal with it and honestly I can understand you up to a certain point. But have you ever thought about your family and how they feel about all of this? Not to see their grandpa for such a long time? It's pretty egoistic if you ask me."

Otto opened his mouth and wanted to reply but he did not know what he should say, she was right and he knew it. But he must do something. Maybe apologize? Well, this was the least thing he could do for her and he understood now that he was the idiot in this whole situation. He did her wrong and he had never thought that the time would come where he Otto Theodor Hopps had to apologize to a fox. He felt how shame rushed over his old and worn out body. How could he become so angry? So goddamn angry. And as he stood there and thought about all of that, another thought came to his mind, one that let him felt like a eight year old kid, who did something stupid — what would his wife say to this? And for a short moment he was thankful, that she didn't had to see him like this.

"I . . . I didn't know that you are . . . I'm sorry."

Patty was never a mammal, who did not forgive others for the things they did but she would not forget what happened, another of her mantras 'Forgive but never forget'. It did not take her longer than some seconds and she was back to her former happy self. And the urge to play piano was back in her mind and she hoped, she could soon lay her paws on that lovely piano but first she had to help him. A life was on the line.

"Okay, apology accepted, old-timer," replied Patty with a grin from ear to ear.

"Now, I think that we should greet each other again but this time properly," said Patty and held the cane over to Otto. The old-timer seemed to find his confidence back and to Patty's surprise a weak smile. A faint chuckle echoed through the little apartment, as Otto opened his mouth. He took his cane with the left paw and held out his right to shake Patty's paw.

"Mhm . . . Fine. My name is Otto Theodor Hopps, my apologies for the. . . bad behaviour," for the last part he turned his gaze slightly to the site, not daring to look into Patty's light green eyes.

Patty accepted his paw and shook right back, with all the joy she had and that was quite a lot. However she could feel that he was still holding back, he still wasn't there, where she wanted him to be. The anger was gone but the grief was still there, lingering in the background.

"Nice to meet you, Patricia Wilde is my name, dress lover, bookworm and from now on your new doctor. And please call me Patty."

"Fine Patty, will do but just if you call me Otto. Say do you really want me as an patient, I can be troublesome, like you saw and well . . felt. I have to apologize again, I shouldn't had hit you with the cane or poke you. Maybe I was a little bit too long alone with myself."

"It's okay, that's more often the first thing that happen to me, than you would think . . . And don't worry I can be very stubborn too, so I think we will come along Otto. Oh and regarding your medical problem, I will order you some medics and give them to you in the next days. And don't worry I will tell nobody about your medical condition because that is also part of my oath."

Leaning on his cane, he looked up to Patty and saw that she really was not so tall, well at least not for a vixen. And with all the light in here she looked more than adorable with her dress . . . Otto felt how another wave of shame was flooding him, how could he assume that SHE would hurt him or even eat, ridiculous. Right now she looked as intimidating as the candy canes, that were printed on her dress.

'Oh, what for an old fool you are Otto. Give her what she wants no matter what it is, she deserves it. Fix your mistakes, you old bastard.'

"Now Patty, what was it, that you want from me?"

The vixen smiled down to him, preparing herself for the request.

"Well, I just wanted to borrow, yes borrow and it means for us foxes the same as for you bunnies, the tuning tools for this lovely old piano, you have in the great Hall."

'That is all she wants? The old tuning devices? Whether she is really a bit strange or I was definitely too long alone in this room,' thought Otto and still didn't knew what to think about Patty.

"And then?"

Patty looked confused at Otto but answered after some seconds with a smile.

"Then bunny, I will play for you whatever you want to hear. How does that sounds?"

"And you would play anything?"

"Yes."

"And you promise that? Even to an old and stupid buck, like me?"

"Big vixen promise," said Patty and gave him a wink with her left eye. A slight smile on his lips, walked the old buck slowly into his living room and from there to his bedroom. Patty followed him even slower, crossed her arms behind her back and looked at the interieur. Even more pictures hung in the living room, most of them were just black and white. This time she could only discover Bonnie from time to time. A loud banging sound could be heard and Patty winced from the sudden sound.

"Do you need help Otto," asked Patty with a lot of concern in her voice and waited for a reply.

"NO," was the answer that returned back and Patty assumed that there would soon follow another message after and it did. Weak but Patty could hear his voice clearly.

". . . . Yes . . . please."

Shaking her head with a light smile on it, Patty walked over to the small bedroom of the old bunny. Otto himself stood a meter or so beside the bed in front of a huge closet with three doors, all of them had a mirror at the front. Besides him laid a card box with the label 'Christmas' on it. It was not difficult for Patty to deduce what happened here. Otto looked first ashamed to Patty and then down at the box but remained silent for the moment.

"I wanted to . . .," began Otto but did not know how he should proceed, so he sat down on the bed and just continued, ". . . It should be laying on top of the closet, a small wooden casket. It's made out of cherry wood."

Patty walked up to the closet and stood in front of the wooden monstrosity. It was a bit taller than she was and so she had to stretch herself, to reach the top side of it.

'Nothing but dust bunnies up here,' she thought until her paws stumbled upon something hard. She took it down and with it came a rain of dust over her head. As soon as she realized that, Patty laid her hears onto her head and thought to herself, 'If there is one thing worse, than dust or sand in your ear, it's a stone between your toes.'

Patty hold it in her paws and wiped with one paw the thin layer of dust away and she really had to admit, that this was a fine piece of work, cherry wood like Otto said with a lacquered surface and fine ornamented metal parts to close it and keep it closed. Nowadays you get everything you need in a plastic bag in the local music store for about 25 dollars but this here was expensive and what was even more important it was handmade.

She opened the lid on the box and saw the typical tools in it, the hammer, which was at the same time a wrench and a spanner, the rubber wedges to mute different strings and a band to mute a large number of strings at once. All of the tools were set into fine and smooth velvet, without a doubt someone made himself a lot of work with this casket. After Patty read the carving, which was in the inside of the lid, she understood from whom this piece was.

"It's beautiful . . . say, you have made it for your wife, right Otto?"

The old buck didn't answered, he still looked down on the ground, sitting on the edge of the bed and leaning onto his cane. A loud exhale came from him, before he started to speak.

"Fifty years of marriage and the only thing, that I ever made my wife as a present is this wooden casket and that was when we both were already twenty years married. Besides the family and the kits, was the music her only joy and hobby. I never knew what I should give her as a present. She never wore jewelry or anything like that, she red what she could from the local library. I always wanted to gave her something but I never knew what. Besides . . . Well besides this one time."

Patty still held the casket in her paws. Interested she looked down at the bunny and listened to his story.

"One day, I think it was one in October, she was tuning the piano on a quiet evening and I sat like many times by her side, listening to her play and reading the newspaper. She could play all she wanted, I loved everything that came from her paws. It did not matter if it was a fine piece of music or if she just tuned the piano. As soon as she played I was sitting in my armchair, which stood back then directly besides the piano."

"Oh, the armchair is still standing there. I guess it's just waiting for you," said Patty and winked him with her left eye.

"Is that so? Hah, some things never change. Tell me Patty, do you have such a listener for yourself? Someone who listens to you and it doesn't matter what you play? Someone who just likes to be with you and shares your time?"

For a moment smiled Patty dreamily at Otto and she thought back how it became a tradition, that Stella sat behind her little piano chair and leaned onto Patty's back whenever she started to play. Like Otto said, it did not mattered for her what she played, Stella just wanted to sit behind her and listen to her play.

"Yes, I think I have someone like that," replied Patty with a smile

"Good, that's good . . . where was I? Oh yes, . . . anyhow my wife tuned her piano, like you want to do it now and as she was done and wanted to put the tools away, back into the box, it broke and all the tools shattered across the floor. Ohoho, did she cursed about that, like a sailor during a storm, to our luck was everyone already in bed and just we were around. As she bowed down and picked up all the tools, I got the idea for this casket. The first and only time, were I exactly knew which gift I could make her. You can not imagine how happy she was, as she unwrapped this little piece of wood. I wished I had made her more presents."

For a moment a silence fell over the two mammals; Patty was still looking at the fine casket and let her paw stroke over the smooth surface. Watching her with his old and no longer so good eyes, he decided something for him.

"Take it, Patty."

"What? No, no, no this casket belongs to you and in this burrow, not to me," replied Patty and held it down to the old buck. Otto took it with his left paw and laid it in his lap, smiling he stroked with one paw over the lid. It was a short attempt to make good what he did to her. But in the end his heart couldn't give it away, not now.

"Maybe you are right . . ."

With little effort put the red vixen the accidental fallen box with the word 'Christmas' back on the closet and went back to the wheelchair in the living room, during the whole time she continued her talk to Otto, who still sat on the bed and waited for his red taxi driver.

"Wait here, I get your wheelchair and give you a ride to the hall but be warned my patients in the hospital say, that I drive pretty risky once I get the handle in my paws."

A little bit too fast and energetic drove Patty with the wheelchair around the corner, now again with her typical bright smile on the muzzle.

But as soon as she saw Otto hanging over his cane and how he looked up to her, she could imagine what he was thinking right now. He wasn't the first patient who acted like this and he also wouldn't be the last. In a deep and male like voice spoke Patty to the old buck, trying to win a little chuckle from him.

"Hey Boss, the cab you ordered is here, what do you think? Wanna know how fast that thing can drive?"

However, he didn't looked up, almost incidental he spoke to her.

"Why are you doing that?"

Back in her normal voice, she replied with a wide grin, "You maybe have not recognized it but I'm quite the funny type…"

He did not yelled but he spoke in a defined and almost ordering voice. Nothing which Patty frightened anymore, her self-confident smile should not waver for any second in the upcoming conversation, so much was clear for her.

"Patty! You know what I mean!"

"Well, you need a doctor and here I am."

"I have no doctor… and you know that."

"Now you have one."

"I have mistreated you! Called you names and even hit you. And you can just forget it like that?"

"Nothing, that not happened to me before and if you call that a hit, then you really punch like a bunny, bunny. And remember one thing about me for the future, I do forgive but I do not forget. So stop the whining and get a hold of yourself."

"Stop teasing me Patty; I'm old enough to make my own decisions, okay? Just . . . Just bring me in the hall, tune the piano and play that piece for me, how you promised. Then you can bring me back and we can proceed with our normal lives. I don't want you as my doctor, I want nobody as my doctor."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. . ."

The grin was still present in Patty's face but Otto hoped that it was finally over now and that she had given up on him. But he didn't knew the vixen good enough to understand that it was long not over for her, no she had just started. She knew this behavior just too good from her other older patients in the hospital. Sometimes they needed one or two repetitions before they finally understood, what it is about.

'Tune the piano and then bring me back into my apartment. I'm so tired from all of this,' thought Otto and stood slowly up from the bed and sat down into his wheelchair, the wooden casket in his left paw and seconds later back in his lap.

Without any more words, turned Patricia the wheelchair in a short curve and drove with Otto in front of her out of the apartment, leaving for a short time all the memories and darkness behind them.

It took them a while, until they saw the first bunnies in the corridors, not to forget that most of them went with Judy and Nick ice-skating on the nearby lake but the reaction was always the same, wide eyes and dropped down muzzles. And always the same mumbling behind their backs.

'Is that Pop-pop?'

'How did Aunt Patty get him out of his rooms?'

However both walked and did not looked around them until Otto spoke up.

"So, so they call you Aunt Patty, heh?"

"Yeah, what can I say, they just love me."

A little chuckle escaped the old buck and Patty could almost feel how his grief slowly vanished. She could not stand a chance against the fluff, Nick couldn't and even Emilia and Elliot were hopeless against the overload of cuteness in this burrow, so why should the old buck be even a little bit different? He wasn't and Patty knew that and she also knew that she would get him. And as she looked in front of her, she saw the easiest method to get him back to his senses and his family.

Right up to them, walked the four little rose siblings in a row and their aim was also no mystery for Patty, all four looked amazed at the old buck in front of them. With wide eyes ran the little cute gnomes up to them, as soon as Patty nodded in their direction. Not even standing, flooding the questions out of their little muzzles.

"Aunt Patty, who is that?"

"Yes, who are you?"

"Why are you in that chair?"

"Can we drive with you?"

"What is that for a box?"

Patty stopped and pushed the breaks of the wheelchair, so it couldn't roll away. Slowly she walked besides Otto and the little fluff balls and squatted down, to be on eye level with them.

"Hey kids, do you know who that is?"

All four shook their heads almost in perfect synchrony. Completely caught by her own thoughts stood Rosemarie in front of Patty, with the thumb in her mouth, something Patty could not allow to pass because of her own bad habits at night. Carefully took the vixen the tiny paw out of Rosemarie's mouth, right then snapped the little fluff ball back into reality and looked excusing to Patty. She knew what she did wrong. Patty scanned again over the four faces but they all looked stunned and unable to speak.

"Well, this is the father of your grandma Bonnie! How do you like that? So he is your great grandfather!"

The muzzles of all four dropped instantly and Rose was again the first, who wanted to act. She held her paws open for Patty and wanted to sit on the lap of his grandpa. A wish Patty was very happy to grant carefully put the vixen the little bunny on his grandpa's lap and looked at the duo. Rose's young green eyes look up to the old and not longer so good ones of his grandpa. After some seconds of silence, raised Otto his voice and asked the little bunny.

"What is your name little one?"

"My name is Rose."

"And who is you mother?"

Happy about the quiet and civilized conversation, sat Rose herself down on the lap of her grandpa but never took her gaze from his eyes.

"My mum's name is Amanda and right now she is helping Grandma Emilia in the kitchen."

"Grandma Emilia? So, so. Who is that?"

Otto turned his head to Patty and looked quite confused to her. The red vixen, lost in thought, needed a moment to realize, that it was now her turn to answer Otto.

"Oh . . . sorry, you meant me. Ehm, Emilia is my mother and she prepares with some of the bunnies the meals," confused but satisfied with the answer, looked Otto at Patty and nodded.

"It's seems it happened a lot in the burrow, since I was the last time out of my room. Six years are also quite long."

"SO long! Mum always says, go play with your sisters Rose or you get sad when you just stay alone in the burrow," exclaimed loud the little bunny on his lap. The other three wanted now also to join her sister and raised their little arms to Patty, who placed them right besides her sister.

"Mmh, you have a clever mum Rose. And who are these little cutie-pies?"

"Those are my sisters! That is Rosaline, that is Rosemarie and this over there is Rosalie."

The little bunny pointed with her arm from one of her sisters to the next and smiled up to her grandpa, proud about her explanation. But not seconds later, let a specific voice all four sisters freeze in panic.

"Girls? Where are you?"

A familiar voice was calling through the corridor of the burrow and Patty heard that it was Amanda, searching for her children. Panic spread between the sisters as they heard their mother calling. Rose turned to her sisters and explained them what to do.

"We have to go or we have to clean in the big hall, I don't want to do that," said Rose.

"Me neither," said Rosaline and Rosalie. Just Rosemarie didn't knew what happened but would follow her sisters nonetheless.

"Sorry, grandpa we have to go!" shouted Rose and all four bunnies jumped from the lap of her grandpa and run as fast as their short legs allowed it deeper into the burrow. The voice of Amanda was slowly fading, she seemed to take another route through the huge building. Again were the fox and the old buck alone in the corridor, Patty stood up and walked in front of the wheelchair.

"If you don't want to do it for yourself, than do it for them."

Otto let his head hang, Patty saw that he was fighting with himself. A battle he would soon lose.

"What do you think? How long do I have left?"

"Treated or untreated?"

"Untreated."

"Three years at best, ignoring external influences, accidents and other illnesses."

Patty could hear how he swallowed heavy. It was never easy to hear from your own death, even when it was a lie but that was something Otto Hopps did not have to know. His disease was not directly fatal but it would isolate him even more and Patty did not want that he drifted even further away from his family.

"And . . . Treated?"

"Ten maybe twelve years," a number she just came up with. Without a real and in-depth examination of him, would be numbers like this were always just wishful thinking or pure assumptions and nothing more.

"What? So much?"

"Well, you have the best requirements to reach this years, you are stubborn, you are quite healthy but what's most important . . .," Patty leaned herself down to him with a grin, so wide that Otto could see her teeth.

". . . You would have me as your doctor. And ten years maybe more, are a lot of time to see your grand and great grandchildren grow up, don't you think?"

Otto understood perfectly what she was doing with him and the thing was that it worked. He thought of Rose, and remembered how their mother once as small as she was now sat in his lap and looked with big eyes up to him. He could not control it and didn't wanted to, as some tears came from his eyes, rolling down his cheeks and gathered on the wooden casket.

"You devil."

"Oh believe me, I'm not . . . But do you want to know the difference between me and the devil, my dear?"

The sarcasm in Patty's voice was undeniable and he knew that she was playing with him.

"Heh, tell me," said Otto with a little chuckle in his voice.

"When the day comes that you have to go, I can promise you, that with my treatment you can keep your soul. No evil contract with the devil, just good old science my friend," Patty's white teeth seemed to almost blind him and he could not bear the view any longer and turned his face away from her but didn't answered. Patty knew that she almost had him, her voice turned abruptly unfriendly and cold. She tried to choose her next words wisely.

"Maybe you don't remember your grandchildren and great grandchildren for long but they will remember you, all of them. It is your choice how. I can bring you back into your rooms and we forget all of that, but for them you will just be remembered as the grumpy, unfriendly and odd geezer, who lived his last years alone and probably also died alone . . . ," Patty made a dramatic break and let her words sink into his mind. Her voice changed now slowly back to her normal and warm one, a complete difference like night and day.

". . . Or . . . you can come with me and we celebrate together Christmas, all of us. You will start to take your medicine again and I bet we will find somebody who would listen to your stories and drive you around, when you need the help. You will live long enough to see all the little bunnies grow up and they will remember you as the buck you are, the kind, warm and loving granddad, they deserve. And not the yelling old geezer, I first met in your rooms, this one is dead and will never come back, okay? But the choice is of course yours, Otto."

The old buck still remained silent and looked down at the casket in his lap. In front of him stood now the grinning vixen and waited. After a felt eternity spoke Otto his own judgement.

"Fine, I'll do it, but you forgot your promise with the piece of music you wanted to play for me. . ."

"Don't worry; I think this will be one of my easiest promises to fulfil; and now give me your paw to seal this contract," said Patty and spited like a five year old kit in her paw to make a deal.

And for the first time in many years, echoed the roaring laughter of Otto Hopps through the burrow, he build a long time ago with his brothers. Both didn't knew that his laughter was so loud, that it made all the members of the kitchen crew, including Emilia and Bonnie, look up in complete confusion. Just the old vixen smiled slightly and Bonnie delegated the bunnies after a minute of wild discussion back to work.

Otto's grin went from on long ear to the other and if anybody had told him yesterday that a fox girl, not even half his age, in a with candy canes imprinted dress would hustle him out of his dark apartment today; he would have called that mammal crazy. What did he thought? He still would call that mammal crazy.

"Fine by me, a contract like in the old days, then," replied Otto and spited without hesitation into his own right paw, which he tried to hold still with his left one for the time being. The paws clasped hard but none of the both wanted to give in, looking the other directly into the eyes.

"From here on, your life lays in my paws bunny, remember that always," said Patty but Otto replied right after, "Oh, don't worry fox, I will. Every day from now on."

The paws parted and Patty went back behind the wheelchair, unlocked the breaks and drove on with Otto in direction of the great hall.

"I must say you tricked me well, Patty. I know that my sickness is not deadly but the way, you talked to me, made me feel the end. And that is an end, I don't like at all."

The red vixen leaned her head down, right between the ears of the buck.

"Well, It's called a hustle, sweetheart . . . Seems, that this hustling slowly turns into a hobby between our families."

"What do you mean, with that?"

"I'll explain it to you in a quiet minute . . . We are there, ready to see some familiar faces oldtimer," asked Patty and pushed the wheelchair over the doorstep into the great hall. To the left of them was the kitchen area, with many busy bunnies and one fox. None of them paid attention to the new arrivals in the hall.

"Hey! Bunnies!"

Shouted Patty through the whole hall, on which all kitchen members turned their heads and walked slowly to the steps, which lead down to the hall. All of them gathered to see what the red vixen wanted from them.

"Guess who I found in the depths of the burrow!"

"Patricia why are you shouting . . . ," began Bonnie with a smile and cleaned her paws on her skirt but went silent the moment she saw the old buck. Her paws went instantly to her muzzle and slowly she walked over to the wheelchair. Her were eyes filled with tears but she tried to control herself. Otto however let his eyes not for one moment from his daughter.

"Dad . . . did something happened?"

It was strange to hear Bonnie say 'Dad' to another mammal, even if she was speaking to her father. Patty, who leaned on the wheelchair and watched the two, had to admit that Otto was a good actor, when he wanted to.

"What? No, Bonbon. Everything is fine. Miss Wilde just asked me for the tools to tune the piano and you know, how those foxes are, don't you? Better safe than sorry."

Otto looked up to all the open bunny mouths in the kitchen area and the one older vixen, standing behind them, watching the events from a safe distance with a smile and sharp eyes.

"And . . . well, while I'm already here, I thought I could stay directly for the big meal . . . if you have somewhere a small spot left for an old buck like me."

Bonnie's eyes went again wide, as she heard words, she always wanted to hear but never thought it would really happen. The joy in her voice was almost physical sensible as spoke.

"Yes! Yes, of course. There is always a place for you, Dad. Just . . . just . . . maybe Patty can . . ."

"Don't worry Bonnie; I got the old buck under control. I play him some songs, after the piano is tuned and he will purr like a kitten. A very old kitten . . .," added Patty with a grin. Bonnie took her father in short but hearty hug.

"Oh, okay. Then I will continue on with the preparations."

And as Bonnie walked up the stairs, obviously still fighting with the sudden burst of joy, came a single sharp whistle from the kitchen area, delegating the bunnies back to work. Patty knew this whistle just to good, her mum used it for controlling kitchen work and it could just mean two things, either 'Back to work!' or 'Oh boy, someone of you fucked something up'. Hopefully for the bunnies it was the first.

Patty drove with the smiling Otto on, stumbling just some meters further upon Stewart Hopps, who just entered the hall with the daily newspaper clamped under his arm. To see his father in law, right in front of him, seemed to be a little shock for the buck of the burrow.

"Stewart my pale," started Otto and put on a teasing smile, "I see you still wear this stupid hat and unfortunately it still makes you look like a hick."

'Bucktalk', thought Patty with rolling eyes and leaned on the wheelchair, watching how the little confrontation would end.

"Hey Otto, . . . ehm good to see you! Well . . . ehm . . . I still need to do . . . you know the thing with the barn . . .," Patty could clearly hear, how Stu tried to avoid a further confrontation with the old buck and slowly turned around back to the door, through which he just entered the hall. Just a little goodbye and he was gone.

"Otto, you old bully," exclaimed Patty with a little chuckle, "I never thought you would tease your son in law!"

"Tse teasing. I always wanted that he showed some guts . . . well like you did today."

"We can't all be the same . . . If you ask me . . . what do I say? I would tell you anyway, I think he's kind."

"That's not what a buck meant to be and at least not the buck of the burrow, he has to be brave, strong-willed . . . and . . and . . . ," Otto thought about more attributes he could add but Patty was faster and ended his list pretty fast, ". . . stubborn, feisty and he needs to keep himself to himself, right?" Patty glanced at him and Otto understood just too good, but she wanted to make her statement more than clear, "To cut a long story short, I think you know on who I'm hinting at. Right, Bucky?"

Patty walked on and waited for an answer from the old buck but he responded her just with a meaningless grunt. The piano was now almost reached and Patty tried another attempt for an honest reply.

"Soooo . . . do you like him or not?"

"You, really don't know when to quit, or do you vixen?"

"Of course I know when I have to quit, I do it when I get what I want" replied Patty with an innocent smile. Otto exhaled deeply but began to speak.

"Don't worry Patty, I do like him. He is the best that could happen to my Bonnie, he makes her happy and that is what counts. I just like to tease him and . . . you know, I wanted that he is more like . . . I don't know . . ."

"You?"

"Yeah . . . no, I mean I don't know."

Patty stopped in front of the old armchair and let Otto change from the wheelchair to his long abandoned favorite place, besides the piano.

"Here we are . . . and to end my little interrogation, I think you know pretty well, what you mean, you are just too stubborn to accept him, how he is," said Patty and turned toward the piano but earned another grunt from Otto for her comment. Her paws were almost twitching in anticipation for her upcoming play, as she stroked softly over the piano keys and felt their coldness.

"Otto, would you kindly give me the casket?"

"Of course," replied the bunny, shortly after he sat down in his beloved armchair and handed the casket over to Patty. She however, stood the wooden box on top of the piano and took the hammer or wrench together with two rubber pins out of it. With huge care opened Patty the front of the piano and revealed the complex and tidy inside with it's strings, hammers, tuning pines and dampers.

Concentrated and diligently, went Patty from one key of the piano to the next. Isolating strings, tune them, listen to the tone and compare it so on, and so on.

Patty had just one small problem while she tuned the piano, she could not identify the tone perfectly by herself. She needed help but thankfully to the modern mammal society, with it inventions and gadgets, was this no longer a problem. Without hesitation, took Patty her phone out of her pocket and started the App to identify tones and the right pitch.

There was no denying that she was very good at identifying the tones but not as good as her little electronical companion and she had also no problem to use some help from time to time.

Otto was complete silent during the whole procedure and Patty thought he was already asleep at some point. However, every time she played a tone, she could see his ears twitching. Moreover when she was already finished with the procedure, he turned to her and looked confused on her setup of tools. Especially one device seemed to raise his interest.

"What is that," asked Otto from his armchair and nodded towards Patty's phone.

The vixen grinned shortly but turned with a serious gaze towards Otto and explained the device, as if he had lived in the woods for the last six years or even longer.

"This mysterious device can do many different things, it calculates, it reaches mammals over loooong distances and can identify a tone. But that is not all, it can . . ."

A grime gaze told Patty all she needed to know about his answer.

"I'm not a complete idiot; I know what that thing is."

The fact that he called it a 'thing' told Patty that he didn't know completely what it was but she thought enough is enough for one day and stopped teasing him, at least for now.

"What do you mean exactly, Otto? Didn't your wife also used something to identify the tone she played?"

"Eveline just listened to it and used that wrench and sung sometimes . . . As much as I can remember."

Without turning to him, she proceeds in her work but tried as good as she can to explain, what she thought, what it could be.

"Well, if that's the case, then you had a very talented wife. Because that sounds to me like an absolute pitch and that means the ability to identify any given music note without the reference tone and on top of that, she can sing any named pitch. Oh boy, what would I give to have this ability."

"Is it rare?"

"Oh yes, " replied Patty and looked up to the ceiling, lost in her own thoughts for a moment, " I think the number was one in 10,000 mammals have this ability. Some say more, some say less."

Finished with her tuning work, Patty started to play some practicing parts to get her paws back in shape and get used to the slightly smaller bunny piano. It was no big difference but for her still noticeable. The work was finished and so she closed the front plate of the piano and laid the tools back into casket but let it still open, if she needed any of the tools again. With a smile on her face, she turned to Otto and laid her right paw on the keys of the piano.

"So old-timer I'm finished, what do you wanna hear? 'Amazing Grace', 'Greensleeves' or maybe just something like 'Little Star'?"

Between every song she named, Patty paused and played the most characteristic part of the song without looking on her paw. A little demonstration for Otto so that he knew what she was talking about and not just some poser.

"Could you play 'Für Elise' for me, this was one of her favorite pieces, I think the notes for that should be in the basket behind you . . ."

But Patty didn't turned around to look for the basket, she just turned to the piano and stretched a last time her paws, before she started with the piece.

"Your wife had a good taste in music, so much I can tell you. This is also one of my favorites and of course I don't need the notes for that one, I played it so many times," replied Patty and laid her fingers on the cold keys. 'Well, just my Snowflake is missing . . .,' thought Patty for a moment and missed the pressure of Stella's head on her back.

As soon as she started to play and heard the first notes, Patty felt this pleasure of playing music she always had when sat in front of a piano. The pure joy to follow a melody and telling a story without words, a story that everybody understood but everybody interpreted in another way.

However, Patty always hated the end of a song, if she could, she would play on and on and on but that is not possible. Every song had to end at one point and stand for itself, just like a story.

Patty ended and a little shiver of sadness rushed for a short moment over her. The rest of her audience seemed to enjoy her performance. Otto smiled happy and from the kitchen, came even a little applause, which indicated that they listened to her. A little moment she celebrated for herself by standing up and making a little courtesy in front of them, which earned Patty a little chuckle from the crowd.

She sat back on the little piano chair and turned to Otto.

"And now I show you a song, that I . . . ," started Patty but was harshly interrupted. The doors flew open and slammed hard against the walls with loud banging noise. All eyes in the room turned instantly to the door. Judy panted heavy while she stood in the frame and scanned hectically the room, to find the mammal she was looking for.

Not thinking of anything bad, Patty raised her arm and waved over to Judy. This was just who Judy needed to find exact the mammal she was looking for, Judy sprinted in her direction and even took the shortcut by jumping over multiple set tables which were already prepared for the big meal.

"Patty! We need you! Now! We have a medical emergency!"

The smile which was just seconds ago so bright on Patricia's face vanished instantly and made room for one with serious concern. Without thinking or turning back, she stood up and looked to Judy.

"Who is it?"

"Cathy, she collapsed while she was just standing on the ice and is now unconscious."

"How long is she unconscious?"

"Ten to twenty minutes."

Patty was more than thankful for Judy and her proper working police officer brain. Even in situations like this or maybe especially in situations like this, she could still keep a cool head and just function.

"Is Snowflake OK?"

"She is on her way and gets your medical bag from your room."

"What a good girl my Snowflake is, who carried her back?"

"Nathan did this; they should be here by now."

Patty didn't looked back and raised her arms over her head, wiggled with her fingers.

"Fine, let's go. Sorry Otto but these magical paws have to save a life now. We'll have more music later, OK?"

Judy turned around and recognized just now that her grandfather, who closed himself into his own rooms for the last six years, sat here and acted as if nothing ever happened.

'What happened here in the time, where we were ice skating,' was just one of the thoughts, that went through Judy's head in this moment.

"It's okay you two, go and help her. Cathy is a good girl, she needs someone like you Patty."

Motivated by the words of the old buck, Patty turned to Judy and took her by her paw, pulling the grey bunny after her. Judy almost fell to the ground; Judy reacted immediately and got her lost balance back, landed on one feet and was now besides Patty, both on her way to Cathy.

Externally was Patty maybe calm but internally was she cursing to herself for her own stupidity and thought permanent just of one sentence, 'Why didn't I examined Cathy yesterday? I should have known better.'

Both mammals disappeared into one of the corridors and not even five minutes later streamed the rest of the huge bunny group, which witnessed the whole incident, into the hall, They created a loud chaos, which was slowly resolved because of Bonnie and Stu effort, who knew just to good what to do in moments like this. Splitting up the bunnies and giving them a task to concentrate on.

Slowly settled the chaos around him and his gaze wandered over to the piano and higher up to the open casket, he made once for his beloved wife.

"What do you think Eve? They are quite something those foxes? Heh, you would have your fun with them . . .," Otto felt how his eyes become teary again but this time he kept it together and said some last words to himself. Nobody was there too listen to him but it did not mattered, somehow he felt no longer so alone.

"I'm sorry my dear, I think you have to wait a while longer for me . . . I miss you."

He smiled and his eyes went over the words he onced carved into the lid of the casket.

 _'For Eveline because the only love that was greater than your love for music, was the one for your family. - Otto_

* * *

Many thanks to my editor cimofj2


	23. A Promise Between Sisters

**Nick**

"So Nathan, now that we three are alone, how was it big boy," asked Nick with a grin to the black wolf who sat beside him and replied at first just with a deep exhale. Stella who sat to the right of the male predators chuckled a bit about the question.

All three of them sat on a tree stump and watched Jess and Judy, how they build together with the little ones, some snow bunnies and even something that could resemble a fox, if you had the right amount of imagination. The trio however was happy to spend a moment in calm and was unwilling to join the two sisters in their snow games. However, boredom was finally setting in and so the discussion started again about Nathan's last 'adventures'.

Around them were at least a hundred bunnies, some playing in the snow, others were already on the ice of lake Lure and some had even a little snowball fights. The whole area around the lake was a perfect place for summer and winter activities. Either you wanted to cool down from an exhausting day of farm work or like now where you could put on some ice skates and cruise over the frozen water.

The little lake was a mile long and lay two miles away from the Hopps burrow in a little wood but was still on the property of the Hopps family. None of the bunny family had a problem sharing it with the other mammals from Bunny Burrow. This was a place free for everyone, who wanted to come and have some fun or refreshment.

Various kinds of mammals from sheep, goats, some foxes that Judy identified earlier as members of the Grey family, of course a lot of bunnies, some badgers and even a little group of exotic felines were here to join the fun on the ice or the snow around the lake. Screaming and laughing filled the air around our friends, who wanted to share a relaxing moment.

"Can you just stop it, Nick?"

"What? I just wanted to know, how was the breakfast? I think it was fine and the home-made Marmalade from my mum, mmh. . . just perfect . . . And by the way, I can nothing for your dirty mind, pal."

"We both know, that this wasn't the intention of your question . . .," replied Nathan, who smiled back at the fox but was slowly annoyed about his repetitive attempts to tease him.

"Maybe . . .," replied Nick smiling but saw the gaze of Nathan and thought it would be better to end this little game,". . . Fine. I stop it . . . At least for now."

"But since when are you so sensitive about your love life?"

This time, Stella asked the wolf. Now she looked up into the sky and puffed out one ring of warm breath after the other that became visible in the cold air of the winter day and disappeared after some time into thin air. Nick assumed that this was an old habit of hers from the north, where she probably had to wait for long times outside in the cold and tried so to pass the time. Normally he knew such behavior just from a smoker who had this 'hobby' for a long time.

She was also the only underdressed mammal out here, everyone else was wearing gloves, thick coats, scarves and other warming clothing but not Stella. Jeans, a T-shirt and a light jacket was everything the white vixen wore today, too less for most others but still the acceptable limit for her.

"This question comes from you, really?"

"Yes, why?"

"You? The most prudish vixen of all time, who is together with the open minded vixen of all time, ask me such a question? It's a miracle that you two fit so well together."

"Hey! I'm not prudish and we complement each other perfectly, you know!"

"Oh yeah? Okay, so what did you do this morning before you came to the meeting point?"

"W-what do you mean by that," asked Stella his friend but felt at the same time blindsided by his question. Her ears laid instinctively back on her head and showed her flustered state, there was no explanation needed that she was a terrible liar. This time it was Nathan who grin at her and she knew exactly why.

Nick however felt that he better not become part of this conversation and snuggled his snout deeper in the red fox scarf, he owned since this morning. Judy's scent was still all over the scarf, a fact that made it even better to snuggle in it and inhale the sweet smell.

"You were late this morning, five minutes to be exactly."

"And? Are you my mum or why do stop the time when I'm gone," asked Stella with provocation in her voice.

"You are never late. When you say, that you need five minutes in the bathrooms, then you need just five minutes in the bathrooms. Your punctuality is almost a natural law, like mine is that I lose in games based on luck. So I asked myself what held you up. And my guess is, it was a small red vixen, who seduced you. Am I right?"

For a short moment, Stella looked into Nathan's eyes and did not know how to respond.

"You don't have to deny it Stella; I can still smell Patty's scent all over you."

"Ohoh, he got you sister," was all that Nick said from the sideline.

The red fox sat there with crossed legs and his left arm supporting his head, which was turned in direction of the two. There was an almost unnoticeable color change of Stella's inner ears to a light red but she tried to stay calm and show no sign that would tell them about her true feelings. Mumbling more to herself than to Nick or Nathan, Stella turned her head to the right and pretended to watch some bunnies building a wall of snow.

" _You just don't know what she is capable of…"_

"What did you say Stella, I can't hear you," asked Nathan with a teasing smile.

"I said ask me again and I show you what it means to tease me today," replied Stella grumpy and glared at Nathan, who understood instantly and kept his mouth shut. Nathan was not bad in close quarter combat training but Stella was a class for herself, Judy was by now the only opponent who could do something against the white vixen. A fight with her during the holidays was nothing he desired and ended his teasing as well.

Both predators didn't notice it but a small bunny walked in front of them and looked at first interested in their direction. As soon as Nathan's and Stella's little argument ended, turned the little buck to Nick and exclaimed happy to his uncle.

"U-u-uncle Nick, T-t-tommy is here with your g-g-guitar."

"Ahh, thanks for the news Bill, you can go back and play with the others, okay lil fluff," replied Nick and shuffled with his paw through the fur on Billy's head.

"A-a-alright, U-u-uncle Nick," exclaimed the little buck and ran laughing back to his other brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces. Nick shook his head while he looked after the buck.

"Poor little Billy, I hope he will find a way to stop his stuttering one day," said Nick, following Bill with his eyes.

"Okay, buddy. What's going on here," asked Nathan.

Nick did not answered immediately the question, instead he stood up, fixed his coat and turned with a grin to his two friends.

"Let's say, the next operation is in progress."

"Operation? What for an operation," asked both predators and looked confused at each other, waiting if maybe one of them had an idea what was going on here.

"Operation Sponsalia will start soon, ahh what do I say? It's already running. Well, I don't want to brag but it's originally from me but Carrots and Jess wanted also to participate. What can I say, you know Judy. She finally took the leading position to coordinate everything," explained Nick to his two comrades.

"Hey Carrots! You and Jess can start! My guitar is here and I think you have another half hour before we are ready," shouted Nick to Judy and Jessica.

Judy raised her right arm and gave her fox a thumb up and a smile to show him that everything was clear. Nick slowly stood up and walked in the direction where he suspected Tommy and his father. Until now everything was going according to plan.

"Oh and you two come better with me, maybe you can make yourself useful."

Nathan and Stella looked at each other a last time, stood up and followed Nick into the near woods, not knowing what awaits the both of them.

 **Judy**

If someone had told her that this day would turn into such a great one, she wouldn't have believed it. The morning with Nick, his perfect gift to her, his honest joy over her paw-made scarf for him and the following breakfast with the family and friends, which was interesting and funny, well at least for most of the mammals at the table. Nevertheless, as soon as Nick told her what Jimmy and her fox had planned for Cathy, she needed to help. She had to take part in this unforgettable day, which should remain in the memories of everyone.

However, the 'You need to tell it someone Judy; you have to prepare someone trustworthy for the worst case scenario. It's no happy task but it has to be done and you know whom we have to ask.'

As Judy looked over to her sister, who wore today a thick pink coat, she recognized that Jess was again staring at Nathan, for maybe the 20-time this day.

"Are you sure, you're not into him, Sis?"

". . . What? Sorry, I was . . . not here for a moment," replied Jess and turned her head back to her sister, after Nathan had vanished with Stella and Nick into the nearby woods.

"Yeah, I noticed that already. You even stared the whole tour from the burrow to the lake after him. What's wrong?"

"I don't know . . . I mean you know me sis, I'm no child of sadness. If you would show me a good-looking mammal in more or less my kind of size, why should I say no to someone like that? Or toss him from the edge of my bed?"

"Oh believe me Jess; I know this . . . Because this has been your problem for the past 10 years. And you know what? Your problems were in the past also mine and Jimmy's problems."

"Oh, come on Judy, you're overdoing it a little bit."

"Do I? If I remember correctly, then you take anyone who is your kind of type and to our bad was your kind of type mostly a troublemaker . . .," replied Judy, who slowly became angry.

"Hey! I like it risky and you do as if it was dangerous to live in my near," replied Jess, in a slightly sore tone.

"Mmhm and what was with the badger? What was his name? John? No, Johnny! Yes, I'm pretty sure it was Johnny. Doesn't matter, fact is you almost ran off with him and Mum knows till today nothing about this or why Jimmy had this black eye for a whole week."

"Judy, you that apologized for this already . . ."

After this a loud sigh came from Jess, followed by rolling eyes. The typical Jessica Hopps behavior, how Judy internal noted but it was not just this mentioned time, that Judy and Jimmy had stepped in for her behavior, it was just the tip of the iceberg. The range of events was wide, from loud and drunk mammals, who screamed in the night in front of Jessica's window and was by the way directly besides the windows of Judy and Jimmy, brawls at family celebrations between ex-boyfriends and members of the Hopps family, again mostly Judy and Jimmy, who stood up for their sister. But in the last year's Jess seetled slowly more and more down and over time took most of the responsibilities in the burrow. And when it was finally time for Judy to move to the big city, she left an unsure sister who didn't know what she should do with her life. To be the next matriarch mammal of the burrow was not her aim but she also couldn't leave all her responsibilities to someone else and so she was stuck between her own personal freedom and her family. She had no reliable partner, not as Jimmy had Cathy or a dream to follow like Judy, she was just a mammal left in a burrow full of bunnies. She was happy, at least most of the time but there was still something missing.

"How long do you want to bring up these cases, mmh Judy? I'm no longer a little bunny girl."

With a big smile that revealed her white teeth, answered Judy her sister,"As long as I have to, sister heart."

Despite all that, Jessica loved her sister and brother and tried to keep her feelings to herself and so Jess replied to her sister with a smile and wrapped her paw around Judy's waist and purple coat. Judy did the same and both walked side-by-side and glinging to each other through the snow around the sea and searched for the black bunny. They decided to head for a nearby hill to have a better overview about the surrounding area.

However, Jess was not finished with her explanation and continued after a short break to explain her feelings.

"Anyhow . . . Yesterday was . . . different."

"Different? Wow, what for a detailed explanation from you. What happened to my silver tongued sister, mhmm Shakesbear?"

"Oh shut up you," replied Jess chuckling about Judy's answer and gave her a fake punch against her cheek.

"You know, when I saw him for the first time, I thought 'Uhh that will be a wild and rough ride' but not at all. He was gentle and attentive . . . almost loving. I don't know how I should put this and what matters more; I don't know why this is bothering me so much."

Slowly Jess's gaze wandered over the white surroundings in front of her, over oak trees, the white shore of the lake, until she found the black bunny she was looking for. Cathy was with some of the little bunnies on the shore of the lake, playing with them. All in all their aim was some hundred meters away from the two sisters, who stood on top of the hill and watched her. With a big grin Judy turned to her sister and waited for her question.

"What?"

"Admit it, Jess," said Judy with a teasing grin, pulling her sisters closer to her.

"Admit what?"

"That you have a crush on him, dummy."

"What?! No . . . no, no, no. No! I have no crush on him! And you know me, since when am I too shy to admit something like that?"

Her sister had a point there; Jessica Martha Hopps was no one who would be too shy to admit that she was after someone. She was maybe a little bit reserved when the L-word awaited but this stage of intimacy hadn't been reached until now with no living mammal, who had not the name Hopps by birth.

"Well, maybe it's the fact that you don't want to admit it, even more prove of that? You know Jess, exceptions prove the rule. I mean, ask me and Nick."

"Oh come on, you two are the exception, from the exception. One in a billion, if not even more."

A thought struck Judy's mind and for a moment she stood still and let her sister walk on alone. The parting of both was fast and unnoticeable. Her smile vanished and all that remained was a serious expression and eyes that stared at the back of her sister, almost commanding her to turn around and look at her. Nick called it always her stern police officer face, one of Judy's moods where you did not want to be the aim or even in the same room. Still in deep thoughts Jess went on, not even recognizing that Judy had stopped or even waited for her.

Judy knew that the following words would cause an argument but what she had to say was already too long in her mind or better in her and Jimmy's mind but both didn't have the guts to talk with Jess about this topic.

"Maybe because he was the first one, who treated you like a respected mammal and not just as an object, he can play with? Something you did to others and others did to you?"

Jess did not turn around, she just stood there in shock at the words, her one-minute-older sister had told her. As she started to speak, Jessica's voice became cold and unforgiving, something Judy had not heard before from her. The tension between them had drastically changed but Judy had to say that, for too long had lingered this sentence in her mind and she waited patiently to find a moment to tell her.

"What do you want to tell me with this?"

"Don't you think Jess, that it is finally time to take some responsibilities . . . ," said Judy but was cut off by her sister in the middle of the sentence. However, Jess turned around and walked with a furious gaze back to Judy, her paw stretched out and pointing with her index finger to her sister.

"Responsibilities? I manage the whole burrow! I plan everything that needs to be done! Festivities, Meetings, everything! Don't you dare question the responsibilities I take for the family! And I think it's not too much to ask that I can have my fun from time to time, or is it sister heart?"

Calm as the water under the ice in the lake behind them. Judy stood just inches away from her sister and laid both of her paws on Jessica's shoulders to calm her down. Her sister was mad, to put it politely, her fists were clenched and she gave Judy a gaze that could kill. Nevertheless, she knew her and wouldn't give in just because of an angry gaze, they had their fights before and would have them after this.

"I know what you do for our family, Jess. Believe me, more than anyone I know that but that's not what I mean. I talk about you and your responsibilities, dear sister. How you treat others and how they treat you. Don't say it wouldn't hurt you. I heard you crying more than once, after a night or morning you came back from a date or a so-called friend of yours for the last ten years. Jimmy and I are worried about you."

More and more anger came to Jessica's voice and with the ending of every sentence, Jess pushed her sister with both paws a little bit back, until Judy bumped with her back against an oak tree.

"Really? You are worried about me? You with your perfect life and your perfect fox, in your damn perfect city? What did he make you for a present? Mhmm sister? Come on tell me! I bet it was some over expensive jewelry?"

Judy felt how the conversation was slowly gliding out of her grip. It was always the same, the closer the mammals were, the more emotional was Judy and there was nothing she could do against it. Or was there anyone, who could do anything against this? She believed not. If this was any other mammal, then she would maybe shrug it off but this was her sister, she shared everything with her in the past, a bed, a life in the burrow and even a whole winter where there was just the two of them because of an accident. She was her littermate together with Jimmy and Judy loved them like almost no one in this world, well beside of her fox and her parents.

"Jess stop it."

"Oh what do you want to do now, Miss Perfect? Arrest me? Buhu, I'm really scared now . . . So come on! Your criminals are maybe afraid of you but not me!"

Jessica stood now in front of Judy with crossed arms and a deathly glare to her sister. She was pissed about Judy's words but so was Judy about the ones from Jess.

"Jess. . ."

"Don't you Jess me, we were once closer than two peas in a pod! And now? Come on, admit it Judy you don't even care for us anymore . . .," shouted Jessica almost hissing to her sister.

The last words from Jess were too much for Judy and something snapped inside of her, something old that could only be triggered by her sister. Like a precious vase, that Jess threw to the ground and that with full awareness of what she was doing, while she looked into Judy's eyes. The calm inside of Judy was over, the ice was broken and the two paws which laid just seconds ago on Jess shoulders, moved way too quick for her sister to recognize it, to the collar of her coat. With ease lifted Judy lifted her sister some inches into the air, turned her to the tree behind Judy and pressed her against it. A little moan escaped Jess, as she bumped with force against the old oak tree that stood on top of a little hill but her eyes were fixated on her sister. Judy knew that this could happen but there was just anger in her eyes towards her sister.

"Don't YOU dare to question my decisions! Do you really think my life is perfect and carefree? Not even close sister!"

"Oh really? How should I know? You don't talk to me anymore! Despite that, I can feel that there is some shit going on in your life! Nick is acting strange sometimes and you are no better! Tell me about it! Share what you have on your shoulders, like we did in the past!"

"I can't!"

"Good! Then let me down!"

Jess felt that Judy refused her wish and held her tight but that never stopped Jess from fighting. Once a stubborn bunny always a stubborn bunny. Under normal circumstances and not completely blinded by her emotions, Judy would have reacted faster or knew what her sister would do.

For a moment, it looked like Jessica would watch the sky or something else far above her. However, just a second later Jessica rushed her head down and hit with full force against the forehead of her sister. Blinded by the pain, Judy let go of her sister and stumbled some steps back, holding her forehead with one paw. Both sisters moaned in agony about the pain in their heads.

"Jess, let it go!"

"Bite me," shouted Jess back and rubbed her own forehead, her face distorted from the pain.

"Fine sister, you asked for it," replied Judy and prepared for an attack.

Both sisters were some meters apart and stared with hate in their eyes at each other, that you could only feel when you really love your opposite.

Without further hesitation Judy clenched her paws and cracked her index finger with her thumb, an habit she had since her training in the Police Academy. At full speed Judy ran towards her sister and prepared herself for the impact. She wanted to end this stupidity as quick as possible because Judy knew how stubborn her sister could be.

'As if you are any better,' thought Judy in the next second and jumped at almost full speed and with open arms to her sister, trying to take her down by her waist.

The jump landed perfectly but Jess did not go down, both mammals just made a backward roll and Jess managed to kick Judy from her with her legs and gave her a little flight to a nearby pile of snow. Judy however landed with her back in the soft snow and needed a moment to come back to her senses.

Panting and rubbing her own forehead walked Jess up to Judy's side and looking down on her sister said, "Seems like, I could still take you down sis- . . . ," but was interrupted by, Judy who grabbed the left foot of her sister with her left paw, sending her also to the ground. One quick roll to the side and Judy sat with spread legs on top of her sister, pinning her down by her shoulders.

"Can we please end this madness by now? And by the way, you lost!"

"Oh Sis, you should know me better . . . since when do I give up so easily and didn't you see where we are?"

"What are you . . . NO . . . JESS! STOP IT!"

Jess knew that in a fair fight, she could never win against her sister but here on the hill she just needed her to lose her balance . . . and she had won or at least what was her equivalent to win against Judy.

With a firm grip Jess held onto Judy's upper arms and swung from one side to the other until Judy finally lost the control and the balance. Clenched together like a ball of grey fluff combined with their pink and violet coats, both mammals rolled down the snowy hillside that was normally used for sledging. With loud screaming and fighting the duo was on the way down with just one bigger obstacle in sight. Finally, after a hundred meter collided both with a snow bunny, that stood on the way and seemed to say 'Up to this point and no further. It's time to talk, Girls'.

The impact of the collision was hard and unforgiving; both does landed on their backs, with their heads looking up into the sky. Panting and moaning lay both beside each other. Their coats and fur covered with dirt, snow and twigs from the way down the hill. Judy cursed internally about the escalated argument with her sister.

'You are right, Judith Laverne Hopps, what for a great day! I'm cold; I'm dirty and worst of all in an argument with my sister . . . great, just great. I should have stayed in the burrow with Patty . . .'

For a moment there was just silence between the two mammals and to Judy's big surprise came a loud chuckle from her sister who lying directly besides her. A chuckle that was so contagious, that after some moments even Judy had to join her. This developed rapidly into a laughter that echoed over the lake and through the nearby woods.

"Why do our arguments always end in a fist fight, Sis?"

"I have no idea, Jess," replied Judy and thought back at the many times, where they both argued about something and found themselves just minutes later on the floor, fighting with each other for real. Sometimes they were lucky and Jimmy found them, the buck was one of the few who could bring them back to their senses but he was not always there to intervene.

"When was the last time, that we had an argument that escalated so badly between us, Sis," asked Jess, still panting and looking into the blue sky.

Judy pinched her nose with two fingers, to better concentrate on her memories, than the pain in her back. After some seconds of reflection Judy finally spoke to Jess." Let me think . . . It was your 22 birthday and I tried to get you away from that raccoon. Oh jeez, you were exemtrly drunk and on the edge to do something stupid. I think his name was Bob."

Another loud laughter came from Jess as a reply for Judy's answer. It sounded distant and not even a bit joyful; Judy felt that the mood of her sister had drastically changed. Something was wrong.

"What so, Jess," asked Judy with a little chuckle in her voice.

"I just realized, that you know more names of my ex boyfriend's than I do . . . "

Then nothing. Just the voices of mammals having fun from the nearby lake and woods waved over to them. Laughter, Screaming and a lot of names that echoed through the air but Judy could not exactly say if this were the voices of her family or the ones from others.

"Jess?"

No answer; just a calm sobbing, and slowly grew from a wining to an almost silent crying. Judy did not hesitate for long and took her sister's paw into her own, holding it tight. Like Emilia remained yesterday with her, so Judy was now completely calm and waited for Jess to open up and she knew she would.

With tears dripping from her cheeks, Jess's drained voice spoke after some minutes of silence to her sister.

"You were right Judy . . . There is not one name that I could connect to a face. Just objects that sooner or later vanish from my mind, mammals I wouldn't even recognize on the streets, if they would pass me . . . Am I a bad mammal?"

"Jess . . ., that's not true," was the only thing Judy replied softly and squeezed the paw of her sister tighter, stroking carefully with her thumb over the backside of her paw. It was hard for her to admit that 10 years of personal decisions, were for the dumpster but she slowly seemed to realize it.

She sniffed out loud and continued after a short break.

"I bet Nathan is the first one, I can really remember . . . Tse, it feels like the first time at all. Just . . . better."

"Why's that?"

"There are no regrets this time . . . well not completely. There is one thing I regret from last night."

"Which one, Jess?"

"I should have kissed him. You know Judy, that sounds totally stupid but that is the only thing I have never done . . . "

With a chuckle Judy replied to her sister in complete disbelief, "What? You want to tell me, that you never kissed another mammal? Not even once . . . ?"

"No, I never did. Somehow . . . I don't know, I wanted my fun but this was sacred to me."

"Wow, I never thought I was ahead of you, in this kind of things . . ."

"Yeah, me neither, Sis," both mammals turn their heads to each and begin softly to laugh about Jess last statement.

Another short break and silence went by, as if a sudden realization hit her, which for Jess resulted in even more tears.

"Judy?"

"Yes, Jess?"

"I'm sorry Judy, . . . I'm so sorry," replied Jess and started again her fight against the tears, pressing her free right paw against her eyes.

"What for Jess," asked Judy carefully but she knew the answer already because she knew her sister long enough, what she understood just now — it was envy. Something that could dig deep down into your heart, where it laid eggs and spread over your whole body. It is subtle at first, almost unnoticeable but one day it would awake and starts to eat you from the inside, until nothing remains except for a hollow shell that is jealous of everything around it.

With little effort Judy sat herself in a tailored seat position and helped her sister to do the same. After a while Jess continued with her confession.

"I was jealous of Jimmy and Cathy and their perfect relationship, of Tommy and how both found each other, how beautiful their first meeting after the concert was. I saw just this, not that Cathy was kicked out of her home, not their undeserved debts, not Cathy's long stay in the hospital, not Jimmy's long extra hours in the factory. However, most of all I ignored their miscarriage. Oh boy, if I had lost one child of mine, I think I would lose my mind but six? This must almost be unbearable and still . . . they didn't give up, no they are still together and I never saw more loving parents than the two of them."

"I know, they are great," said Judy and smiled as she thought about them and their relationship. Jess was right, it was an almost unbreakable bond they both shared but not because it was always harmonious or easy, a lot of hardships and trouble tied them together and strengthen that bond. Moreover, Judy hoped secretly that Nick and her bond was just as strong as theirs.

With the sleeve of her coat Jess wiped the last tears on her face away and it seemed that she slowly accepted what Judy had thrown at her.

"And I was jealous of you and Nick, ignoring completely your hard training and the fact that you almost died and that several times. Tse, who is now the dumb bunny?"

"Don't beat yourself up like that Jess. We all have those feelings from time to time; it's no shame to admit it."

"Oh yes? When were you jealous of someone?"

"I . . . I was all the years jealous of you," said Judy almost whispering. Jess eyes went wide as she looked over to her disciplined and organized sister. This time she couldn't believe what she heard and started to laugh.

"What? Why . . . why should YOU be jealous of me . . . I mean, what is wrong with you?"

"All I ever did was preparing for the police officer training; I could never relax or make new friends. And you . . . You talk to anyone who seems nice and just like that, you had three or more new friends," said Judy and looked over to her sister.

"Oh Sis, those were no friends, just guys you met once and forget. You mistake stars reflected in a pond for the night sky, darling. Nathan, Stella, Elliot and Patty, these are real friends."

Jess made a short break and smiled over to her sister.

"And again you have something ahead of me, Judy," Jess replied with a little chuckle.

"Don't say something like that . . . and please remember one thing, Jess. All I do, I also do for you and the whole family. I don't want that any of you get hurt because of me."

'We have already such a depressing mood between us, you can also ask her right away . . . Okay, now or never,' thought Judy to herself and searched for a good start.

"Ahh . . . Come on Juju, that was the stupid talk of an angry doe. I know that you care about us and you know that I'm talking bullshit, when I'm angry . . . Wait. What do you mean with getting hurt because of you?"

Judy didn't reply, she still searched for the right words. If she would tell her too much, than Jess maybe start another tantrum or who knew what else.

"Judy, what did you get yourself into? Come on Sis, tell me," demanded Jess and looked with a worried gaze over to her sister, her ears were up and she didn't want to miss a single word. Judy opened slowly the upper part of her coat and reached with her paws for her neck, opening the closure of her locket. Without looking to Jess, she handed it over to her sister, the violet and the green gemstones were sparkling in the sunlight.

Judy drew her legs to her body and laid her chin on her knees, looking over the lake and to the mammals on it but not over to her sister. However, Jess smiled as she saw that her prediction about Nick's present was correct and like Judy this morning the doe turned it in her paws and looked at it from various position. Not even five minutes and Jess found the mechanism to open it.

"Ooohh, what a nice picture of you two but what has this to do with the things you said," asked Jess smiling and even a slight smile hushed for a short moment over Judy's face as she heard the kind words from her sister.

"Look on the right side," was all that Judy replied. In addition, Jess did, at first she couldn't understand what the combination of words meant but after the third read the realization hit her. With wide eyes, she looked over to Judy and tried to confirm what was standing in the locket.

"You two spoke the old vow? Judy, that is like a proposal . . . no that is even more. You bind your life to his, no matter what will happen! When did you two do that?"

"We spoke the vow to each other, one day before Nick left for the Academy. The day, where we saw what Zootopia really is and the day where we both decided to do something against it. I can't tell you more, Sis, but I want you to know, that there are mammals who want to see me and Nick dead."

The rose like color, which was until now on Jess ears and cheeks disappeared, all that remained was a plain white.

"Judy stop scaring me, what . . . What are you talking," asked Jess now almost panicking. However, Judy could clearly see the fear in her eyes because Jess knew that there were certain topics about which Judy would never joke. This could only be real and that meant that something bad was going on.

"Judy! Please talk, to me!"

"Jess?"

Judy's voice was weak and almost unintelligible, as she started to speak but the determination in it was clear as day.

"Promise me something."

"Anything Judy but please explain yourself."

Desperation, that now was all that filled the voice of the young doe. She hated it to let her sister in the dark and serve her just half-baked answers. For a short moment, she thought about Nick and his past. Moreover, she understood why he acted sometimes just for himself without telling anyone.

'Is that how it feels like, Nick? Is that what you have to do, to keep those that you love safe? Lie to them? Keep them in the dark? Bear the burden in silence?'

Her thoughts fast wandered back to the present and her sister besides her.

"I can't! Understand it please, I can't! It would put you into danger and that is not what I want. Believe me Jess, ignorance is bliss in this case. So please don't ask!"

Confused from the words of her sister nodded Jess but she still tried to understand what was going on here.

"If anything should happen to me . . .," Jess couldn't keep it in, her fear took over her mind and mouth.

"What are you . . .," started Jess again but Judy's reaction came fast and let no space for further questions," JESS! Please this is important! I want no nagging from you, no comment, I just want that you listen to me and give me an answer, okay?"

Jessica Hopps went instantly silent and bit her bottom lip to prevent herself from other questions. She couldn't remember the last time Judy was the last time so serious with her.

"Okay, first, no word to Jimmy, he has enough problems and yes, I know the burden I put on your shoulders, Sis and I'm sorry for this but I don't know who else I should ask. Mum and Dad know what they have to know," exclaimed Judy as if she had read out her testament,". . . Fine, that is that."

Without another word Judy stood up and cleaned herself. She offered Jess her right paw to help her up, which she accepted gladly.

Both sisters were now on their feet but Judy did not let go of Jessica's paw, she pulled her sister onto herself until their faces were just inches away from each other. For a short moment, Jess thought she would collide with her sister and closed her eyes for the impact that wouldn't come. Jess didn't know why but she didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want to look into Judy's, the ones that resembled hers so strongly.

Nevertheless, Judy forced it; she grabbed Jess cheeks with her paws and forced her to look into her now teary eyes. Jessica Hopps wanted in this moment nothing more than to run away and never come back. It didn't matter where to, just away from here, from this place that meant in the past always so much fun and joy for them.

Jess would never admit it to anyone but she had in her life just one hero, someone who she always looked up to and who never wavered. Someone who never gave up no matter how bad the situation was and who was always there for her. This hero stood now right in front of her and prepared her for the worst, she felt as if the world would collapse any minute above her head and she understood that this time, it was her turn to be strong for her sister.

"Please listen, Sis. If something happens to me . . . Then please take care of Nick. I know him well enough to understand that he would do something stupid. Moreover, I don't want that, I want that he lives, no matter what. Do you understand me?"

Jess could just nod, she was still biting her lip but this time, she was fighting back her tears. The reaction was clear for Judy; her sister had understood what she wanted. Without hesitation she took her in a tight huge, maybe the tightest she ever gave to someone else. Almost silently Judy whispered over and over again into Jess ear.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, . . ."

"It's okay Judy, that's what sisters are for."

Very slowly, Judy separated herself from Jessica and gave her a last smile. A deep exhale followed from the first bunny cop of Zootopia and she felt as if somebody took a heavy burden from her shoulders.

Right now the two female bunnies looked more than miserable. Teary, dirty and with complete messed up fur stood both at the shore of the little frozen lake and looked las if a huge brawl happened here and both of them were in the middle of it. However, in their own way were both now more than relieved about the outcome of the argument. Unsure how to continue, smiled Jess over to Judy and showed her the locket, which she had still in her right paw

"Come on Sis, turn around and I'll put on your locket for you."

"Thanks ,Jess."

The Hopps sisters remained for another minute in silence, a minute in which Jess tried to put the locket around Judy's neck. Teasingly, she spoke to her, while she fought against the closure of the chain. One thing was clear, she didn't have the dexterity of a certain fox.

"You know Judy, if really something should happen to you, what I don't believe, I think I will take your fox and make him mine. You know we look similar, the name will not change so much and he can continue giving me all those gifts."

The sarcasm in Jess voice couldn't be mistaken; everyone who would have listened to her words would know that she just made a joke, to cheer her sister a little bit up. Judy however didn't recognize this; she looked up into the sky and answered with a smile.

"Do that Jess, as long as he's happy, so am I."

Jess froze in shock as she heard the words from her sibling and all that filled her mind was what the answer implied.

'She would put her own happiness behind his. Damn, she would put her own life behind his, if she needs to and all of this, just because she loves him so much, that the only thing, that is important to her is his life, even if this means setting him free. Tse and I'm bothering her with my stupid problems. Oh Jess, you really need to get ahold of yourself.''

Unable to speak clearly, Jess mumbled some words to her sister but even so Judy could understand her, which was no wonder after years of the shared life they had.

"I . . . I will try my best, Judy."

"Thank you, Jess."

A last smile from Judy and she raised her paws to her cheeks, giving herself some pretty strong slaps on them, to fill her white cheeks with a pink color. She loudly exclaimed to her still confused sister.

"Come on, Jess! It's time to get our brother engaged."

Chuckling about her own sentence, Judy grabbed Jess's paw and dragged her in the direction Judy assumed Cathy might be. The mood swing was fast and for a short moment Jess could not believe what she saw. The confusion lifted slowly in her mind and showed her what really happened in front of her. There was no bundle of grey joy dragging her along, at least not this time, now there was just a bunny wearing the mask of a fox.

'Whether you taught her too good or she learned too fast, Nick but no matter what, she can do it almost too well,' was the thought that went through Jess's head as she saw her sister acting in front of her and somehow it made her chuckle, 'I think they are fine, no need to worry Jess. It's Judy, we are thinking about! She always mastered every obstacle with ease and this time will be no different . . . She is our hero and heroes don't die so easily.'

The dark thoughts and tears slowly faded into the back of their minds, into the part where all the worries, assumption and bad memories were stored. Mostly those places were like little attics, dark, humid and with stuffy air. Forgotten for most of the time but when you are alone with yourself and you let your mind flow freely, you sometimes stumbled about them. Sometimes you even forget that this room existed in the first place and what it was about. Carefully you looked through the old stuff until you lost yourself in it, looking for old memories and a past that can never return. It took you some time but finally you remember why you had forgotten this place and why it was so far in the back of your mind.

Finally, back on their task, to search for Cathy of course, Jess made a decision.

"I think I should apologize to Nathan because of the last night. That's the least I can do."

Smiling Judy replied to her sister, "Sounds good, maybe you can seal your apology with a little kiss?"

For a moment Jess walked with a dumbfounded face on but just seconds later it changed to a little smirk.

"You know what? Maybe I will do that. Just one and just for him."

Many thanks to my editor cimofj2


	24. Spade Queen

**24\. Spade Queen**

 **Cathy**

With a heartwarming smile, Cathy watched over the three little bunnies in front of her. Luke, Leia and Han were with almost 4 years old. They were the oldest liter of Clara and her husband Kyle Hopps. There was no need to mention that both of them were big fans of a certain film franchise. Right now, were both with an even younger liter of their own, visiting Clara's parents in the nearby town Paddington for Christmas.

Like always, took Cathy with joy the opportunity to take care of some kits from the Hopps family, Thomas became too fast independent from her and James. A fact made her on the one paw proud but on the other always a bit melancholy.

After all this years, she felt still indebted to the Hopps family, even when James always told her that this was not the case. Cathy knew that her feelings were unfounded and that this was also her family. For sure, she knew that her partner was right but she couldn't help herself, because this was what she felt.

It wasn't even the fact that she hadn't married James yet, none of the Hopps family ever gave her the feeling of not belonging to them. It was more of the opposite. Especially Judy and Jessica who were like sister for her now, she never had any and hoped both thought of her also a bit like that. Whenever there was time to spare, they helped her out or visited her in the hospital, when James was still working . . .

. . . A high-pitched scream presumably two female bunnies echoed through the air. Cathy couldn't tell from where exactly the sound came but the voices felt somehow familiar to her. Nonetheless, this was what she needed to free herself from her thoughts for the moment and gave her the chance to concentrate on the three little bunnies in front of her.

'You think again too much, stupid, stop that,' Cathy thought to herself.

Until now, the three were occupied with the task to build a snow bunny and all that was missing were some stones or twigs to decorate it, for this task Cathy send all of them off to gather what they could find in the nearby area and pile it up in front of their work. Unfortunately, the things they found weren't the best match and so the three grey bunnies stood in front of Cathy, waiting for her comment on the snow bunny they built together in the last half hour.

"Well, it's special . . . Yes, I would say that this is definitely a very special snow bunny that you made there," Cathy said trying to hold back her laughter. This 'thing' looked more like a penguin with horns than a bunny, but hey, they were kids and had fun building it, so everything was fine.

"Aunt Cathy? Can we go ice skating?" Han asked with huge puppy eyes.

'Oh boy, who could say no to something adorable? Well, definitely not I,' thought Cathy and giggled about the little buck.

"Of course, you can. I will sit here on the shore and watch you, okay," Cathy replied and nodded with a smile to the three little ones.

The little fluffs exchanged excited glances at each other and stumbled over to the tree stump, which had on one side a sledge packed full with ice skates in different sizes. Without hesitation, the three started to put on the old but still reliable skates, a work that Cathy helped them patiently without losing her smile even a single time.

"Thank you Aunt Cathy!"

All three exclaimed as they stumbled from the shore to the lake itself but not without shouting at each other. At first, Cathy was worried how thick the ice was but after she saw some goats, also using it her fear melted away.

"I'm first!"

"No, I am!"

"Don't forget me," Leia shouted and running behind her two brothers, who had already reached the shore and made their first steps on the sleek surface. We shouldn't forget that bunnies have an excellent sense of balance and so it was not difficult for the siblings to adapt rather quickly to the new surface and movements they had to use.

With a smile on her face, Cathy looked after the three bunnies, at first from the shore but she quickly recognized that the three did not need any help and if something really happened, there were more than enough of their siblings with them on the ice. One of the good things of a big family, there was always someone around if you needed them.

Slowly Cathy walked, wrapped in a dark blue coat, over to the sledge with the ice skates and the old tree stump. Completely caught by her thoughts about the three bunnies Cathy sat down but regretted her on behavior just split seconds later, as a sharp pain from her back rushed through her whole body. For a moment, even her heartwarming smile vanished and the only thing that could be seen on her face was the well-known pain that flooded her body from her lower back. What Cathy felt was not just the physically pain, she got used to that by now and whenever it was too much she took a painkiller against it, most of the times without the knowledge of James. He would just have worried too much about her and that wasn't what she wanted, by now he had already more than enough on his mind and shoulders. Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything for the pain. Feeling it reminded her of what she had lost on that special day in March. Sam, Calvin, Mable, Dom, Summer and Kara those six names she would never forget, as they were branded in the back of her mind. They were her kits and nothing would ever change this fact.

She felt how the wheel of thoughts started again to spin in her mind. All of this took her mind back four years, where she was in the nearby Bunny Burrow Hospital for a standard check, in the last third of her pregnancy. For two weeks before the check-up, she had a small stinging pain in her back from time to time, but she didn't mind it much because back pain during a pregnancy was as common as morning sickness or the gain of weight.

On this Tuesday in March, something went wrong, horribly wrong. She couldn't remember much from that day, most of her memories were blurred by the medicine and the pain. One of the last things she could remember was that she talked to a doctor and got an injection for her pain but shortly after that, she fainted. Everything that followed from there on, were just fragments of thoughts, screams, words and parts of conversations, which she couldn't put into context.

Not even half an hour after Cathy fainted and she was brought into surgery, Jimmy arrived together with Judy and Jessica in the hospital. After he got the news from his sisters, he couldn't stay any longer at work and went directly to the hospital. It didn't mattered how much Judy and Jessica tried to keep Jimmy calm or how much his boss at the time told him to stay or he would lose his job, he was simply on the verge of a nervous breakdown and wanted just one thing above all and that was to see that Cathy and the kits were okay.

But as soon as he arrived at the hospital, they wouldn't let him through or could give him any further information and so he tried with force to achieve, what all the pleading and shouting couldn't do. Judy and Jessica told Cathy afterwards, that he had a tantrum in his own class. Jimmy didn't want to listen, didn't want to hear anything at all. The only thing that he wanted was Cathy, how she would sit on her bed and smiled to him in her kind way, telling him that everything was okay. Right then, she was pretty far from okay, which he couldn't know but he felt that something wasn't all right.

It needed Judy and Jessica to stop his tantrum. Together they sat him down and talked to him, trying to calm and soothe him as best as they could. None of them slept that night, the three siblings sat side-by-side waiting for a result on the floor in the entrance hall of the hospital, in front of the surgery rooms. They talked about the old times to pass the time and distract the sorrowful buck from the present. They noticed every movement of a nurse, any doctor who passed was asked about Cathy's state. Mostly they didn't know anything or just gave them no answer.

After twelve long and painful hours of waiting on the cold floor, the three bunnies finally could go to Cathy, no doctor was available now and so they went in without talking to someone about what has happened. The room was painted in typical hospital white and they could just hear the monitoring devices at first, with their typical beeps every now and then. Cathy was alone in the room but her bright smile was just a weak imitation of what she would normally show to others, especially to Jimmy. Slowly the grey buck walked over to his exhausted mate, her long black fur was a complete mess and represented her mentally state. Jimmy bent carefully down to his bunny and took her paws into his. Their muzzles just inches away from each other and Jimmy's dark blue eyes fixated on the brown ones from his beloved partner. Now finally near enough to him, even the light smile faded and Cathy gripped her paws tightly around Jimmy's.

At first, he thought just of a reaction that she was happy to see him but the tears in her eyes told him another story. It was a sad one, which you actually didn't want to hear. With the last strength she had, Cathy embraced her partner and started to cry.

He couldn't understand, what the reason for her sudden sadness was, she was seemingly okay or at least no longer in surgery and the . . . kits. Yes! . . . How were the kits?

Questioning Jimmy drew his head back and looked now in the teary eyes of Cathy, those brown eyes that were always so full of joy and love but right now, they were just dominated by the sadness in her expression. With force she bit down on her bottom lip and folded her paws in her lap, Jimmy took a step back and waited for her to speak and explain what happened in those hours. Judy and Jessica were silent and Jimmy was sure if he turned around, he would see two teary siblings who understood what happened but he couldn't. He saw the signs, he saw his beloved bunny in front of him with her paws folded in front of her no longer existent pregnant tummy but he still couldn't process the information. His mind refused this reality; it refused what resulted from it. He refused the facts that were in front of him. He refused it, he simply refused it . . . He wouldn't accept it . . . He could not accept this outcome . . . until Cathy began to speak in a meekly voice to him . . .

"I'm sorry James, . . . I'm so deeply sorry about this, I don't know what I did wrong . . . but I'm sorry . . . ,"Cathy said from the bed, looking up to her buck.

In this moment something broke inside of James Berthold Hopps, who was his whole life just called Jimmy from everyone he knew besides from this one mammal and right now, this mammal needed him more than anything else. Maybe it was the possible future that shattered in this moment, all the plans he and Cathy had made over the last month but it doesn't mattered now. All that mattered in this moment for him was Cathy. He took her in a tight embrace, leaning her head carefully against his shoulder and with one of his paws stroking over her long black fur and ears, while he tried with the other paw to hold her as well as he could.

"No Cathy, it's not your fault, okay? You couldn't do anything about this, it . . . it just happened . . ."

Time went by and how Jimmy held Cathy tight to him, so Judy tried her best to comfort her emotional shaken sister. She was the older one, even if it was just a minute, she had to be strong for them or least so she thought.

After minutes of sobbing and comforting was there a light knock from the door, Judy parted from her sister to open it and at first just saw a young brown furred buck, with brown eyes in a white doctor coat standing in front of her. He seemed not to be sure if he should smile or make a stern face, given the gravity of the situation. Finally, he decided to smile, which confused Judy for a moment before she saw the two bunny nurses behind him who rolled an incubator into the room, in it one little ball of black fur was obviously sleeping. Overwhelmed by this view Judy cupped her right paw in front of her muzzle and dragged Jessica forcefully to her, she needed to see this. Hell, Cathy and Jimmy needed to see . . . him.

"Miss Carter? Mr. Hopps?"

Both bunnies slowly turned their gaze from each other to the new guest in the little room.

"I understand that you both suffered a great loss in the last hours . . . but maybe HE can brighten your day."

At first, both were not sure what happened in front of them but after they saw the incubator, Cathy placed her paws in front of her muzzle and Jimmy stood with wide eyes up to walk around the bed in pure disbelief. The nurses placed the newborn bunny on the right side of Cathy's bed right in her field of vision, the young mother couldn't believe what she saw. Just moments ago, Jimmy and Cathy were sure that they lost everything . . . but now.

Jimmy placed his paw carefully on the glass of the warm incubator and watched how the little buck wiggled inside of it. He woke up, maybe because he could smell or hear his parents or just because he was hungry, it didn't matter. He would have all the love and care he needed, that was sure.

"Thomas," was all Jimmy said with a smile to Cathy and she agreed with a smile back to her buck.

Jimmy took his mate again in a loving embrace but this time, not to comfort. This time it was the pure joy of knowing that they were now a little family of three. All other mammals slowly left the room, giving the new parents time with their son.

Cathy's mind faded slowly back into the present and she felt that her cheeks were a little bit wet. No matter how happy they were after they saw that Tommy survived the first critical hours, they would never forget those six names. They were carved forever into the back of both Cathy's and Jimmy's mind. Sammy, Calvin, Mable, Dom, Summer and Kara. It was almost like a mantra or prayer that the young doe endlessly repeated as a reminder what was so dear to her.

With the back of her right paw, Cathy wiped over her face to erase the last signs of her crying and ended her look into the past with a deep sigh. For a while she just sat there and looked over the lake and to the three bunnies who raced over it. She had no need to worry, all three were fine and had their fun on the ice. The pain in her back was still there but now definitely weaker and easier to accept.

Completely unprepared, a small squeaking sound escaped Cathy's muzzle as two grey paws laid over her eyes.

"Guess who?"

Came as a question from behind her and to which she responded at first with a chuckle. She knew that it was Jess's voice, no doubt about this.

"Jess?"

As the paws withdrew and Cathy bent her head back, the black bunny looked in the smiling face of Judy, directly behind her was slightly younger sister. The two stood directly behind each other and the differences in their appearance were minimal but she knew them. Jessica had small black spot under her left eye; her scent and voice were completely different.

"Y-you two, what's wrong? Where is the rest of your crew?"

"Ah, you know. Here and there . . . doing things . . . preparing things," began Jess who stood behind Judy and walked with her sister in front of the black bunny. Cathy didn't know why but she had the feeling that something was going on here . . . but on the other paw . . . she knew the two long enough, they would never do something to her or put her into danger.

"We just thought, man wouldn't it be wonderful to go ice skating with our most liked sister in law," continued Jess with a smug grin on her face. As the two sisters stepped in front of Cathy, she was distracted by their messy appearance but no matter what, their look made her curious.

"Are you two really okay? You both look pretty messed up, what happened?"

Judy looked at herself and Jess and declared with a similar smug grin as her sister, "Ahh . . . this, you know us Cathy, when we two have an argument, then we like to bring it to an end, no matter how."

The black bunny didn't answer; she just looked with widened eyes from one sister to the other and asked finally.

"But, you are okay now?"

"Ohh Cathy, you think too much about others. We are more than okay. . . Right Judy?"

"100%, Sister heart, "replied Judy and let her gaze wander over the tree stump, until her eyes find what she searched for, namely the ice skates on the wooden sledge.

"You know, I think today is a quiet day for me… so sorry but no ice skating for me," said Cathy with an insecure smile and hoped that her part in activities would end here.

Slowly, the smug grin on the faces of the sisters made Cathy nervous and especially as soon as Jess stepped in front of Cathy and put her paws on Cathy's shoulders, there was a slight feeling of stress coming from the back of her mind.

"Sorry Sweetheart, but today is no day to choose. Right now, you can put on those skates by yourself or . . . ," Jess started the sentence and was muzzle to muzzle with the black bunny. A light panic started to spread through Cathy's body as Jess continued, " . . . I hold you and Judy puts on the skates, how's that?"

'Not good, something is definitely not right. They are up to something...,' Cathy thought and looked to Judy, who was for Cathy always the more reasonable sister.

"Okay Sweetie, we have a schedule to hold and I think I'll give you till three to decide," Jess explained further and started to count.

"One."

"J-jess I-I don't k-know what y-you…," Cathy started and looked with widened eyes at Jess, not believing she would really do that to her but didn't know what she should say.

"Two."

"I-I-I h-had this morning . . . too much to eat, oh yes . . . Puuuh, I'm still not ready for activities and you know mammals shouldn't go to the water if they come from a big meal," Cathy said and tried her best to convince the bunnies in front of her. She ended her little talk with a soothing but also insecure smile. However, Jessica did not let go of Cathy. Judy replied calm and collected to the black bunny, while she got a pair of ice skates from the nearby sledge.

"Oh, Cathy what a terrible liar you are and believe me I know how a good liar sounds. I mean, I share my bed with one . . . So tell me, since when are you such a good eater in the first place and I'm sure the rule with the water applies just for swimming and not ice-skating. So please come on, I promise you, it's for your own good . . . believe me," Judy said and send a little wink over to Cathy.

A deep sigh came from the black bunny. With a hanging head and slowly relaxed muscles Cathy gave finally in, to the soothing words of Judy.

"Fine, . . . Give me a pair of the skates and I'll put them on," Cathy replied with half-played and half-earnest anger in her voice. To her surprise she couldn't stand up, Jess grip was still too strong and her grin still there.

"Sorry Cathy, we're up to three . . . so see it more as a service between sisters and not a punishment,"Jess replied with a smirk. Cathy's eyes widen, as Judy knelt down in a flash and started to put the skates on Cathy's feet. Screaming and laughing at the same time, Cathy tried to free herself but the pain in her back and the low strength of her long hospital stand did not allowed much resistance.

"Hahaha . . . stop it Judy, you are . . . hahaha . . . tickling my feet . . .," Cathy shouted with tears in her eyes but hadn't enough breath to laugh and talk at the same time.

"And done," Judy exclaimed with noticeable pride, for the fast work, in her voice.

"Wow Sis, someone could think a certain fox, showed you some of the tricks he can do with his paws," Jess replied with a dirty grin.

"Oh wow Jess, what a sassy answer from someone like you. So, if Nick's paws are tricky, what would call Nathan's," Judy asked back and thought she would shut her sister up with this reply but unfortunately not . . .

"Well, I would call them forceful and demanding . . .," answered Jess and grinned back at Judy, who just groaned over the reply of her sister and turned back to Cathy.

"Give us a minute and we can start," Judy said and put the ice skates on her own feet as fast as she did with Cathy's. In addition, Jess was no exception in terms of tempo and so the three bunnies were on the ice not even five minutes later and made their first steps on the uncommon ground. Together the three bunny girls glided over faster and faster over the icy environment. Here and there, members of their family or well-known neighbors greeted them. For a moment Cathy forgot the pain in her back and concentrated on the cold wind, which was streaming through her long fur and along her muzzle.

'Maybe it was better to come with them, the wind feels good and the two hold on to me and this constantly, so no need to worry,' Cathy thought and smiled at first to her left side and then to the right. From both sides came an equal response, on the left from Judy and on the right from Jess. The two grey does held onto to Cathy's arms and gave her a little bit more security on the ice. There were by now less and less mammals around them, till the moment was reached where they stood in the middle of the lake. The sun shone warm from above on them from a pure blue sky and all around them was just the white of a perfect Christmas day.

Jess separated herself from the little bunny chain and drove circles around Cathy and Judy, some wider and some pretty close to the two of them. Her sister however took both paws of Cathy into her own and she gazed intensely at the brown eyes of Cathy and waited for her to listen completely to her.

"Cathy, the first moment you stood on our yard, with those teary eyes and the little bag of clothing you had, I don't know why but I instantly felt that you were the right one for my brother. You know, you were always so shy and friendly around us and everyone in the burrow, I couldn't understand, how somebody could to kick you out of your home. Well, I still can't understand it and I hopefully never will. The following is just between us but ask Jimmy if you don't believe me, I was so close to the point, of going to your parents and give them a lecture about how to treat family . . . "

The little speech, which Judy had prepared wasn't over but she could see how the eyes of Cathy became again teary and so she made a little break. Unlike her last tears, they were this time just a sign of the joy and gratitude she felt swelling in herself.

Jess slowly slowed down and stopped with a grin besides Judy, nodding over to her and giving her the sign.

". . . because that's what you are to us Cathy. You are a part of our family, an important part. And if right now Mum would stand in my place or Dad or any other bunny . . . ."

" . . . or fox," added Jess with a little wink to Cathy and Judy, who replied both with a little chuckle before Judy continued to speak.

"Of course, how could I forget them . . . "

The black bunny couldn't hold her tears back, in small streams they ran over her cheeks and fell to the cold ground but the smile on her face was bright and honest in response to the words of Judy. Cathy's mind was going in circles and she couldn't understand how she deserved such nice words. For her, were just worries and problems she made for the Hopps family, from the first day she entered the burrow until now. However, those were just her own negative thoughts, and never had anyone besides James, told her so clearly what the family thought about her.

"Anyhow, what I want to tell you Cathy is, I'm glad that we have you and we are more than glad to call you a sister, an aunt or a daughter, right Jess?"

"Oh you're more than right sister!"

At first, Cathy contorted just her face and for Judy and Jess, it was not clear how she reacted. After some seconds, the joy broke out of Cathy and the black bunny took her 'new siblings' in a tight hug with Judy on Cathy's left and Jess on her right shoulder. Softly Jess stroked over Cathy's back and Judy continued with the last part of her speech, which she whispered now only in Cathy's ears. Her words were accompanied by the soft and adorable sobbing of Cathy, who laid in the arms of the two bunnies, here pain by now completely forgotten but not vanished.

"We know, through which hard times you went with Jimmy, how you both suffered together and supported each other. If anyone deserves what comes next, believe me, it's you," said Judy with a smile and separated with Jess slowly from Cathy, so that she could turn herself around. At first, she didn't understand what they wanted from her and she looked puzzled at the bunny siblings, who nodded both in her direction. Finally able to get the hint, Cathy turned around carefully and saw that the gathered Hopps family, who came with them to the lake, stood some meters behind her. All fine formatted in two large groups, they were ready for her. Nick stood in front of the two groups and tuned a last time his old valuable guitar, one of these groups was led by Stella and the other by Nathan. Overwhelmed by the large number of mammals in front of her which were just there for her, Cathy cupped her paws in front of her muzzle in complete disbelief.

Ready for the little show walked Nick some steps closer to Cathy and made a little bow. As soon as his face fixated on hers, he started to speak.

"Cathy," Nick began with a grin on his face, while he played the first tunes on his guitar, "Today, I'm just the delivery guy but this song was specially picked by Jimmy for you and it comes right from his heart and soul. OKAY STELLA, HOW WE TRAINED IT, YOU START, ONE, TWO, THREE, AND FOUR!"

They started and boy, how they started. Stella who stood in front of the first large group of bunnies, tried with her right feet to stomp to the beat as well as she could and clapped after some beats loud into her paws, on which the group of bunnies loud sung 'Ho'. The same procedure followed just seconds later from Nathan's side, but he had seemingly no problem to hold the beat. After his clap returned a loud 'Hey' from the other large bunny group, which was commanded by him. Cathy knew the song and listened still crying for joy, to the words James had changed for her.

 _Ho_

 _Hey_

 _Ho_

 _Hey_

 _He was trying to do it right (Ho)_

 _He was living a lonely life (Hey)_

 _He was sleepin' here instead (Ho)_

 _He was sleepin' in his bed (Hey)_

 _sleepin' in his bed (Ho)_

 _He belongs to you, you belong to him, you're his sweetheart._

 _He belongs with you, you belong with him, you're his sweet', Hey!_

 _he showed you family (Ho)_

 _all the blood that he will bleed (Hey)_

 _he didn't know where he belonged (Ho)_

 _he didn't know where he went wrong (Hey)_

 _but he asked me to sing this song.(Ho)_

 _He belongs with you, you belong with him, you're his sweetheart_

 _He belongs with you, you belong with him, you're his sweetheart (Hey)_

 _I think you're right for him (Ho)_

 _don't think of what might have been (Hey)_

 _Love, you need it now (Ho)_

 _Let's hope, for you two, Hey!_

 _He belongs to you, you belong to him, you're his sweetheart_

 _He belongs with you, you belong with him, you're his sweet' (Ho)_

Of course, Nick made no mistake during his play and completed the song just as perfect, as it would stay forever in Cathy's mind and heart, whenever she would think back to this moment.

It was now that Cathy recognized that James stood directly behind Nick but there was also another thing Cathy could see, her mate was incredible nervous. Nick laid his paw on his shoulder, spoke some words to him and James exhaled deeply, before both started to walk in the direction of Judy, Jess and Cathy. The rest of the bunnies followed slowly behind Stella and Nathan, an army with a lot of happy and smiling faces. They knew what would soon happen.

Suddenly, the thought Cathy struck, she was the epicenter of the attention and she understood what James wanted to do. Her eyes widened and her heart started to beat like crazy but also the pain in her back returned and this time worse than before.

'No he wouldn't . . . We talked about it . . . We have not the money for this . . . Oh no my back . . . Please not now . . . keep it together, Girl,' thought Cathy and tried to hide her pain behind a smiling mask but with every passing minute it was harder for her to keep it.

Slowly, Jimmy came closer to her, his right paw in the pocket of his coat, obviously searching for something or holding onto this something in his nervous state and Cathy could almost say what it was.

'A Ring? How did he . . .,' but it was her pain that broke her chain of thoughts. Things were getting worse. For a moment, she tried to concentrate on Nick, who stood himself now besides Judy and Jessica to get the pain under control. The gaze of the fox was very concerned as he scanned his bunny from the black tips of her ears to the ice skates she was wearing.

"Do I have to be worried, that you look like a mess, Carrot," asked Nick with a raised eyebrow.

Judy however smiled just mysteriously and replied,"Don't worry Slick, just a little argument between Sisters. Right Jess?"

To check her words, Nick bent a bit in front to look past Judy and directly at Jess, who did the same thing and grinned just at the astonished fox. However, as he saw her and recognized that she looked as messy as Judy did, his worries disappeared into thin air.

"Little argument? You two look like you fell down a hill…," said Nick and earned just laughter from the two sisters, after they exchanged a short look at each other.

"Did I miss…," Nick started confused but couldn't end what he wanted to say. A loud 'Psst' came from Stella, Nathan and multiple other bunnies behind them, and forced the fox to shut his mouth. Apologizing he raised his paws, made a zipping gesture in front of his muzzle and threw a small imagined key behind him. A chuckle went through the rows of bunnies as they saw this.

Jimmy just smiled about this little incident, why should he be angry? Nick was the one who made it possible, that he could stay now in front of Cathy and do what he wanted to do for such a long time.

Cathy however starred just at him with wide eyes and shook her head slowly from left to right and back, and still with her paws cupped in front of her muzzle. She seemed like she was in a trance, knowing what would soon happen but afraid that it would happen.

With a smile on his face, Jimmy took Cathy's paws from her muzzle and into his own.

It was now almost silent around the bunny couple, just a mumbling here and there, mostly between some bunnies or Nathan and Stella. All mammals present were on the edge of their curiosity, some of them didn't even dare to breath too loud.

A last time James Hopps, who was always just called Jimmy, took a last deep breath before he started to talk. Both mammals looked each other deep in the eyes and the world around started to disappear for them, because right now just the two of them were important.

"I know it, as if it was yesterday but in fact it was the 24th of June and by now more than five years ago. I swear to you, it could have been the first day of my life at least this was how it felt like. I could have been born right in the moment. I entered the field in front of the stage and from the hundreds of faces yours was the first one that I saw. The only thing I could think at this moment was 'Holy blueberry, I must have been blind up to this moment' . . . I can remember every little detail from that night and let it be so tiny and minor. The warm wind, which blew over the grass field and you, how you stood there alone in the last light of the dawn, with your white raccoon shirt, your jeans and the little handbag, which you had gripped so tight to your body, as if it was your first time to a concert . . . "

Unseen from the masses, the paw of a purple-eyed doe searched for the paw of her green-eyed fox. She didn't need long to find it, eager and without hesitation enclosed the bigger paw of the fox, the one of the smaller doe. A short look. A small smile. That was all they needed and one knew what the other felt and thought in this moment.

With every second, Cathy felt it more and more difficult to concentrate on Jimmy's words, the pain from her back was driving the young mother slowly crazy but she wanted to endure it. Because right now, she wanted nothing more than to hear those words from her buck and see what he was doing.

" . . . As much as I wanted to see this band, I couldn't take my eyes from you and damned I didn't regret any glance I took. Every minute or so, I had to look over and watch how you stood there alone under that tree, sometimes closing your eyes, moving your head and body to the music. You were just . . . gorgeous. You are still gorgeous and will ever be for me . . . ," Jimmy continued overwhelmed by his own emotions but not able to see in which condition his better half was.

". . . But as soon as those drunken bucks bothered you . . . I-I had to step in. I couldn't just stand on the sidelines and watch how some idiots come to close to you. As stupid as this sounds now, I'm glad that they did because I never would have had the courage to speak to you, never . . . not in a million years . . . ," Jimmy said and tried scratching his neck with one paw but it never reached his aim. With her right paw reached Cathy for the left one from Jimmy, catching it just in time. Smiling up to him, she responded, even when the movements of her limbs almost made her scream. The pain got worse with every minute that passed but she tried everything to not ruin this special moment.

"I'm also glad that they did this, even if it what they said wasn't pretty . . . But I saw how you looked over to me. At first, I found it strange but the more I looked back to you, the more I liked the grey buck who couldn't overcome his fear of talking to a little black bunny. Don't think I didn't see that you walked several times pass me to get something to drink, always stopping right before me, but in the end you passed me but without the bravery to turn to me . . . And I didn't have the bravery to stop you."

"Y-you recognized me? I-I didn't thought, you…," Jimmy asked with astonishment.

Just with a smile Cathy silenced her buck and gave him his answer.

"James, I'm shy, not stupid . . . please continue, I like to hear more from you about that day."

"Of course . . . where was I? Mmmh . . .," he lost what he wanted to say but too his luck, was there a ludicrous friend who was never at a loss for words.

"You wanted to tell us how you beat up the evil bucks, saved the girl and won so her heart. Or well, at least that's how I would have done it with Judy, if I wouldn't know how dangerous she could be," Nick replied loudly and grinned down to his bunny. Judy's response was a strong but short clasping of Nick's paw, a move that made him wince for a second and widen her smile for a short moment.

"Strong, little, bunny paws . . .," mumbled Nick but kept silent after this. Over the rest of the mammals rushed a wave of laughter about the fox and his attitude to emotional moments but no matter what they thought, it was exactly the time Jimmy needed to collect the right words in his mind.

"Tse, those jerks . . . I think it was the third time, where I was getting something to 'drink' for me. I heard how they called you and how they shouted that such a long furred, black bunny should have no business in the Triburrow Area. All you did was to endure it but I couldn't stand there and let you endure it on your own. So, I asked them if they could repeat what they said but as soon as the first opened his mouth, he got my drink in his face and fur. You and his brother were so surprised that I just grabbed your paw and walked away. Not even ten seconds and they were after us, they and their brothers and to my bad we had no Judy there who could keep them in check but a Jess who was there and distracted them, so we could escape . . . Answer me one question Cathy, until today I have no idea, why you walked away with me. You could have run from me and they could have beaten me up and end of the story but you followed me . . . why?"

"Because you stood up for me . . . it was the first time ever, that someone gave me a feeling of security. You grabbed my paw, turned around and said with a smile on your muzzle to me, 'Don't worry, I will protect you," Cathy said and looked with pride at her buck up to him,"And you kept your promise, you always did and I know you will always do."

With a smile Jimmy continued, looking only on the black paws he held in his own and how he slowly stroked over them, "We ran, from the festival area, to a nearby hill I knew. I never looked one time back to you, I was too afraid to see you angry or scared of me and as we finally stopped and I turned around to you . . . you just hugged me and I didn't know why and I didn't cared why. From then on we sat on this hill, paw in paw, listened to the concert, talked, laughed and were just happy. Later that night, I brought you all the way home and we had our first kiss under the pale moon. It . . . it was just perfect."

A giggling here and there could be heard but also again the 'Psst' of other bunnies, who wanted to listen. Jimmy turned for a short moment and gave Tommy a sign, on which he stepped beside his mother and father. He was at the end of his story; Jimmy got down on one knee and held still the paws of his Bunny. However, in this moment Cathy's fears and hopes came true at the same moment. The long time hope to be asked to become his wife as well as the fear of the recurrence of her illness in a bad moment and from all the moments, it had to be especially this one. If Cathy wanted one thing, than that her engagement would be as perfect as their first kiss but she could feel, how slowly her legs gave in, partly because of the returning weakness and partly because of her flustered state.

'Keep it girl . . . just for a while . . . He deserves this moment,' thought Cathy and clenched her teeth in agony.

"We went together through many happy days but also through a lot of dark times. We saw each other cry, laugh, shout and break but also become better. You are the first one I see in the morning and the last one before I close my eyes and I want that it stays like this for the rest of our lives."

With a big smile, Tommy drew a little box out of the pocket in his coat. He opened it and held it up to his mother. Jimmy looked up to Cathy, still holding onto her paws, as if he was afraid to lose her and she looked with an open mouth at the ring and the huge stone on it.

"Catherine Melody Carter, do you want to . . .," Jimmy began but Cathy's legs gave out and she felt softly in Jimmy's arms. For a moment, nobody understood what happened. Most of them assumed that the emotional shaken bunny, was just too nervous to stand and most of them chuckled about the sweet view but nobody saw what really was going on.

"Hey, Cathy everything okay . . . Cathy? . . . Cathy," Jimmy asked and began to shake his bunny softly, "No, no, no, don't do that to me and Tommy . . . please, no!"

For Cathy, everything just went black and all she felt was a soothing numbness that was wrapping around her whole body . . . it felt like back then, in the hospital. All that she could perceive from her surroundings were the muffled voices of the others, the concern in it and the crying and sobbing of little bunnies. It seemed like Judy was the first one who reacted immediately.

"Jimmy! We have to bring her to Patty but we have to do it now!"

"But . . . but . . . I . . ."

"Stella! Nathan! Which one of you is faster?"

"I'm faster on short tracks but Nathan is the one for the long distances."

"Good. So listen everyone, Nathan you take Cathy, Nick you know the burrow and have a key, you will go with Nathan and lead him to Cathy's and Jimmy's apartment, Stella you get whatever Patty needs from your room and bring it also too their apartment, if you don't know where it is, ask any bunny you can find. Jess you and Jimmy . . . Jimmy I know the situation is bad but we have to act, now!"

"I know but . . . I . . . what should I do?"

"Leave her to us!"

"But . . . but . . . she's my partner . . . I need to . . . _*slap*_ . . ."

And then for some seconds just silence.

"I'm sorry Jimmy, I hope you can forgive me for that but right now is not the time for discussion or who is responsible for what. Nathan take her but as carefully as you can . . . yes perfect and now go."

"Jess! I know it's much but . . ."

"I know, I know. I take care of Jimmy and the rest of the crowd. Don't worry, easy peasy. I do it every day . . . "

"What will you do, Carrots?"

"I will get Patty and now go! Come on, go!"

What followed was just the controlled breathing, the gentle rush of the wind and the shaking from someone who was carrying her. She could feel neither cold nor the sunshine on her fur. Even those last audio stimulations she heard until now vanished slowly from her perception. James and Thomas faces were the last things she saw before everything went black but even now, in her critical condition was just one thought that ruled her thoughts or what was left of her conscious mind.

'I hope my boys are alright.'

 **Jessica**

The last thing Jess saw from her sister and the her team was how they slowly vanished from her field of vision into the nearby woods. By now, they were already on the edge of the lake and she bet that they needed not even five minutes to reach the burrow.

Enthusiastic, from the way her sister controlled everything in this times of chaos, she was more than ready for her new familiar task. Jess turned around and scanned over the horde of bunnies in front of her. Right now, she shouted orders around her, just as well as her slightly older sister and to her luck she saw that the youngest liter of her mother, the L-Liter was completely here. They were 18 by now but still just a bunch of teens in her eyes.

"Okay, Linette, Lilie, Laura and Larry you gather all the siblings and walk back to the burrow. Make groups of twenty bunnies per elder and every older bunny looks out for the younger ones. Are we clear? Oh! Larry! You take the sledge and collect the ice skate, alrighty? Good, then back to the burrow with you."

Jess stood in an akimbo position on the ice of the lake and watched like a general, how her orders were executed. As soon as most of the bunnies were out of hearing range, she sighed deeply and turned around to her brother and his son. Jimmy sat still on the cold ground and held the sobbing Tommy against his chest. The bigger paws slowly stroked over the black fur of his son, his face almost expressionless.

No one dared to say something and Jess knew for the first time in her life, not what she should say or how she should start a conversation. It was easy on parties but here and now? No way.

"It happened again Jess . . . right now, where everything looked so promising. I don't understand this. Sometimes I think, that some mammals aren't meant to be happy."

"That's not true Jimmy, I bet Patty will fix her up in no time, she's a pro in what she does."

"Even a pro can't fix everything . . .," said Jimmy and looked by now very tired. Tommy's sobbing was no longer audible and Jess guessed he felt asleep, which was no wonder because he was awake half the night, playing with other bunnies in the burrow. Jimmy took the small box out of Tommy's paws and put it into his own pocket.

"Did your cheek hurt badly? I know just too good, how powerful Judy can hit if she wants to," asked Jess.

"Well, if that's the case, then she didn't want to hurt me. I think it was more like a wakeup call and it helped plenty if you asked me," replied Jimmy, who stood slowly up and carried Tommy on his arm, "Come on, Jess. We should also go back. I need to see my mate."

"I think you mean wife," replied Jess with a little chuckle and followed her brother over the lake.

"Not really, I couldn't ask my question to the end and she couldn't . . . well, you know . . . answer."

Before Jimmy even thought about what could happen to his bunny, Jess stepped in and explained him what he had to do, while she walked besides him, her paws on her back and a fake smile on her lips.

"In that case you have to do it all over again. The bowing, the romantic words, everything, you know?"

A small smile was on Jimmy's muzzle.

"Don't worry Jess, as soon as she is awake I will ask her again and that time, I will get my answer!"

"That's the spirit brother," replied Jess and walked with her brother in direction of the burrow, always following the huge horde of bunnies on their track.

#####

Many thanks to my editor cimofj2.


	25. Dreams Can Come True

**Patricia**

Patty hated running, even if her heart was totally fine, she was sure that this was one of her least favorite activities, where you could sweat. Dancing, that was something she prefered but not this mindless moving, that mammals called running. On top of that, she had also an overactive bunny in front of her, which dragged her through the tunnels of the burrow, if Judy would go on like this, she would be dead before she could see her latest patient.

"Jeez, bunny. How far do we have to . . . _*huff*_ . . . run to reach her apartment?"

"Next door . . . and stop, we are there," Judy said and stopped suddenly in front of a door with the names James Berthold Hopps and Catherine Melody Carter on it. Patty couldn't react fast enough and almost run over Judy. The bunny however seemed to notice, how unathletic Patty was and made a step to the side.

Patty panted heavy, her face was turned to the ground and she leaned with her paws on her knees and tried with a strong effort to catch her breath. Every second counted and she knew that.

"Okay . . . must be enough . . . open the door, I need to see her," under normal circumstances Judy would protest and would give Patty more time to recover but they didn't know how bad the situation was.

Judy opened the door and saw Nick already standing in the middle of the small floor, he shook his head slowly and his gaze told her everything else she needed to know, something was definitely not okay.

Without further talking, the doe and the vixen walked into the bedroom on the right side of the floor. The bedroom was rather big, a huge oak closet to the left and after a meter of space the also oak wooden bed with wine red wardrobe. A nightstand on each side of the bed each had some books on it. After that a rather huge space of three to four meters, which led to a huge window, that also was the entry to the balcony behind it. They had a nice view from up here, the whole thing laid at least in the third floor. However, Patty's concentration was fast torn back to the black bunny on the bed.

Stella sat already on the left edge of the bed and tried to fixate Cathy. For a short moment, Judy thought, that Cathy wasn't unconscious but the impression was deceptive, Cathy got spasms all over her body and Stella tried to stop her from hurting herself.

"Patty, if you are there, help would be highly appreciated," shouted Stella through the room. As soon as Patricia entered the room and recognized the situation Cathy was in, the normal and cheerful Patty disappeared, her smile vanished completely and the temperature of her voice dropped significantly. Right now, just Dr. Patricia Wilde stood there, professional, earnest and ready to do everything to save a life.

"Nick, Nathan out of the room, now!"

The two predators were too confused about the sudden change of Patty's mood; even Nick didn't recognize his little sister in this moment. Without even looking back, Patricia walked to her bag and started to search for the right tools.

"I DON'T REPEAT MYSELF! Out of the room and close the door!"

Still completely perplexed, Judy pushed the two predators out of the room with an excusing smile and closed the door behind her.

"Thanks Judy," came as a reply from Patricia. By now, the red vixen had already a small corked vial from her bag in her left paw and a fresh syringe in her right. She bit on the plastic cover of the syringe and drew the main part from its little plastic hideout. Stretching her paw with the vial against the lamp, which hung in the middle of the room, she stabbed the syringe in the cork of the vial and filled the medical instrument with the pure and to the others unknown liquid.

Patricia made a last check of the syringe, by pressing the plunger deeper into the barrel and letting the last bits of oxygen out of it together with some of the liquid.

"Okay, Stella hold her tight and you Judy take her feet."

The bunny and the white vixen followed the order of Patricia without complaining and both tried her best to keep the shaking black bunny under control.

"I'll try my best, Patty," Stella replied and a small smile appeared on Patricia's face, the normal Patty wasn't completely gone.

"That's my Snowflake," Patty replied and knelt on the bed, stretching out Cathy's left arm and searching for a good place to set the medics. With ease, Patricia could hold the arm and stop the shaking. Stella and Judy exchanged a short bewildered gaze at each other and both understood now why Patricia had so much strength in her arms, she needed it for her work with equal strong patients. The liquid entered Cathy's arm fast; started to circulate in her blood system, after another minute the last spasms stopped and the mammals could let go of her.

"Okay, what now Patty and what did you do," Stella asked, while massaging her hurting wrists. Cathy's body was maybe weaker than normal but there was still enough strength left to resist even a vixen.

"This here was a light muscle relaxant. If her spasms hadn't stopped, it could lead to a heart attack, no need to mention that this would be bad, right? What you two need to do now, is to undress her and I'll do a quick examination. Then I need . . .," Patricia started to explain but all three mammals turned to the door surprised, as a completely exhausted Jimmy walked into his own bedroom. With wide and teary eyes he came closer to Cathy. Right then, he wasn't clear in his mind and everybody in the room could have confirmed that. Fear was never a good counselor.

"Jimmy, please wait outside, you can't help right now," Patricia said in a calm and understanding tone but the buck didn't listened, he was just focused on his bunny and how she laid there on the bed, calm and not moving.

"Oh my God, is she . . . No, no, no," Jimmy was shocked, he walked towards the bed; but was harsh stopped by Patricia.

The buck started to fall into panic but Patricia didn't wait for him to calm down, she needed to work and he was not helping. With little effort, she grabbed him by his shoulders and pushed him some inches in the air and against the big closet.

"HEY! Don't you dare thinking something like that. Under my watch no mammal will die in this burrow! Do you understand me Jimmy? NO MAMMAL AND ESPECIALLY NO BUNNY! So and if you want to really help me, then get me me her medical information . . . and everything else you can find, okay? If you need help, then ask Nick or Nathan."

"But, but…," started Jimmy but his voice was no longer audible under his heavy sobbing and his eyes were fixated on Cathy, who laid motionless in her bed.

"No buts, do as I say," shouted Patricia at him but she also saw that he was devastated, at once Patricia's voice turned into the warm and carrying one, everybody knew. Calmly, she started to explain," I promise you, that nothing bad will happen to her, I will make her better. She may be even better than before this whole mess started in the first place. But you have to trust me, can you do this Jimmy?"

The buck nodded and his muscles slowly relaxed from the tension. After a deep exhale and some seconds of rethinking what happened and how she reacted to Jimmy, Patricia changed her mind, remembering her own promise towards her job and how she never wanted to be.

'You know the most critical part is over, now give him some time with her. Come on Patty, you don't want to be like 'them', don't be cold and heartless,' Patricia thought to herself and exhaled another time deeply.

"I'm sorry Jimmy, I shouldn't have acted like that . . . Go to her and give her a quick kiss and tell her that everything will be okay. She is maybe unconscious but I've seen it several times that even an unconscious mammal may recognize their loved ones . . . and it supports them. Talk to her as if she was up and totally fine."

A painful smile went over his face and Patricia heard with a little sting in her heart the almost silent words from Jimmy, "Thank you."

'Dumb bunny, I had to apologize for my hard words, not you. Now, I've got things to do.'

Jimmy went over to his bunny and sat himself carefully on the bed's edge, where just minutes ago Stella sat and tried to hold her down. His paw slowly caressed her cheek, while he looked down at her and spoke with the voice of an almost broken buck. Patricia had heard this voice too often in her short life. It didn't matter if it was a mouse or an elephant; in the end, they all sounded the same, when the life of a loved one was at stake.

"Hey Cath, I hope you can hear me. Listen darling, you have to get better, because I have to ask you again and then you must say yes to me. That . . . that's how things work and not like this . . . ," Jimmy chuckled slightly but continued after a short moment of silence," . . . and don't worry you are in the best paws. I bet Patty will fix you up in no time. Stay strong."

Jimmy leaned over her and gave her a short kiss on the forehead. Patricia watched all of this not for the first time, she knew how to regulate her emotions in such a moment and tried to concentrate on her work, laying every instrument in front of her but she saw how Judy and Stella turned with their heads to the side and let some tears disappear. Jimmy stood earnestly now in front of Patty, like a soldier, who waited for clear instructions and an order to fulfill.

"What do you need Patty?"

"You're ready?"

"Yes."

"Good. What I need now is information. To be exactly her complete medical record, her maternity log, the medics she takes on a daily basis and . . . ," Patricia made a short break, as a thought struck her mind.

"And . . . ?"

"Do you have some painkillers in your household? Aspirin, Ibuprofen, something like that?"

Confused Jimmy looked at the vixen in front of her, "Yeah sure, . . . I mean who doesn't? Do you need some?"

"No, it's just a guess . . . just bring everything to me. In the meantime, I have to make some tests on Cathy," said Patricia. Jimmy just nodded and left the room as quickly as he could to start his new task. As soon as the three female mammals were alone, gave Patricia them a sign and the check-up could start.

Patricia wrote down every finding and every result on a piece of paper. Blood pressure - was okay, pulse - also okay but could be better, eye response to light - not so good, breathing - as good as can be, heart murmur - big woho, she had a strong heart and so no worries here. As soon as Patricia wanted to draw some blood, the first real problems slowly came to the surface. There was almost no blood to take from Cathy! It took Patricia a while, to get enough from Cathy in a little test tube and unfortunately there was no testing unit nearby, to get the exact values she needed.

'Ahh, damned. So. I have to use the old method to indicate something. Fine by me . . .,' Patricia thought and without waiting any longer, the vixen took a sniff from the test tube. After a while of smelling and thinking, a thought Patricia struck and she needed to confirm it now.

'It's maybe unconventional, what I want to do but hey that's me,' Patricia thought grinning to herself. Loud and not awaiting any reply, Patricia spoke to Judy and Stella.

"I have an idea and need to confirm it! Stella, please do me a favor, and give Cathy a small bag of the saline solution from my bag, yes? Thank you, honey!"

Confused but also relieved that the cheerful Patty was back, Judy and Stella looked at the red vixen but she ignored them completely and walked out of the bedroom and turned to the living room, where Jimmy searched in a closet for the medical record and for the last sheets of paper, he thought the red vixen would need. She knew that Stella would do it, without questions.

"Ehm Jimmy, where is Nathan?"

Thinking for a moment about the question Jimmy looked at Patricia and pointed finally towards the kitchen of his little apartment, before he turned back to the work in front of him and continued to bring order into a lot of medical papers. With big steps, she walked into the little kitchen. There she found Nick and Nathan, who both stood behind the kitchen island and drank a cup of tea (of course, what else could it be with Nick). To her surprise Elliot was also here, he sat on the counter and had, to the surprise of all, not his laptop in his paws but also a cup of tea.

'What a surprise that everyone is here but that's good, no need to call for them,' Patricia thought and waited for the question, that laid on Nick's tongue.

"And," asked Nick with a heavy voice, "How's the situation?"

"Critical but under control and with Nathan's help, I think I can close this case in a minute or so," replied Patricia with a smug grin. Without even thinking, Nathan replied dedicated to his new task, "What can I do?"

The grin on Patty's face widened as she heard the answer and without waiting, she held the test tube under Nathan's nose.

"Good boy, take a sniff and tell me what you can smell."

"WHAT?!"

Was the only thing that came from Elliot and Nick, as they looked confused at each other. Again, acted Nathan, with huge dedication to his task and sniffed the blood sample without asking or any restraint.

"Patty are you sure that is a good idea," Nick asked his sister but she replied with just a grin and started to explain.

"Oh Nick, in fact this is a great idea! I have no blood chemistry analyzer at hand and I think even you will have your problems to get your paws on one in the next hour," Patty said.

"Give me 10 minutes on the phone and I can tell you," Nick replied with a grin and took a deep sip from his mug, which had a black bunny printed on one side. Patricia just rolled her eyes as a reply and continued," . . . You know nothing Nicholas Wilde . . . Anyhow, we have no time to find one nearby to test Cathy's blood, So, I have to use the old methods, So, this means with a sensitive nose has to indicate it. Our lucky mammal for this job is Nathan, because he has by far, the best nose from the mammals in this burrow . All I need now, is a confirmation of my theory, so Nathan how does it smell?"

All eyes were now on the black wolf, who held the test tube carefully between index finger and thumb, his nose twitching like crazy from the smells he tried to notice and for him there were a lot of smells.

"Well, . . . I would say it smells sour . . . and something else . . . ," explained Nathan, Patty's grin widened again. Nick and Elliot watched Nathan now with curiosity.

"Yes . . . and?" replied the red vixen, waiting for the last response, her eyes wide from anticipation.

"Mmh . . . well, I would say . . . it smells a little bit like uric . . . ? I don't know, is that even possible?"

Struck by joy and the feeling of victory Patricia raised her paws over her head and exclaimed loud to the others.

"Hah! I knew it, I was right! We two, Nathan and I, smelled the exact same things without telling each other. Moreover, yes Nathan it is possible, if the blood owner slowly intoxicated herself, without even knowing, with for example . . . aspirin. Now I just need the confirmation from Jimmy and we can bring our black bunny slowly back from the unconscious. Okay, Elliot, Nick. Now is your turn, I have work for you," Patty said triumphantly and wrote some words on a piece of paper. After some lines, she ripped the paper from her block and handed it over to Elliot.

"Aspirin? Since when can you poison yourself with something like this? And how did you come up with Aspirin anyway," Nathan asked and took a sip from his mug, on this was printed a bigger grey bunny and smaller black bunny, his left paw leaned on the counter of the kitchen to support him.

"You are right Nate, normally something like that would not be so easy possible but remember, Cathy's kidneys work just with a fraction of their normal volume. Every medicine no matter which is also a poison, the question is just how many you take," Patricia replied and Nathan nodded approvingly. The red vixen turned to Elliot and looked at him with big eyes.

"And this is now the point where you two will join the game. So, Mr. Anderson, I guess you still have some connections to your parents company, to get your hands on every medicine you want?"

In played shock laid Elliot his paw on his heart and started to speak.

"Are you implying, that I hacked my parents own company? To receive medics whenever I want and wherever I want? You know that hacking is a crime, right? And those are some heavy accusations Miss Wilde," replied Elliot with a grin, Patty however answered with her best sarcastic grin.

"Yes, but I also know that you don't give a shit about rules, right El?"

"Oh, you know me to good Patty . . . Okay, fine. Maybe I hacked the company of my parents and maybe I know someone in there who could help us. But how do we get it here?"

Nick took a last sip and placed his half empty mug behind him on the kitchen counter. With a grin he answered Patty.

"Let me guess this is where I come in, right Sis?"

Patty formed with her thumb and index finger a gun, pointed it at Nick and winked with her left eye to him, while she reacted a shot.

"You are absolutely right bother. Oh and I need the medics tonight, is that possible? Nick, Elliot?"

The beaver looked slightly confused up from the piece of paper he was holding in his paws.

"No probs from my side but some of the medics are for Parkinson treatment, are you sure with those too" replied the beaver and took out his phone with a questioning gaze.

"Who said, that I have just one patient in this burrow," replied Patty and smiled mysteriously at Elliot, he however just shrugged and kept on typing, ". . . If you say so . . ."

Her plan seemed to work but she still needed the confirmation of another mammal and so Patricia looked to her brother, who waited already for his part.

"I think it's possible. By coincidence, I know someone who could do it and as it happens he also owes me a favor, so leave it to me," Nick said and also got his phone out of his pocket and started immediately to type on it. Right in time, Jimmy came into the kitchen with the documents and the medicine. After he laid the documents on the little kitchen island, a huge, for bunny standards plastic bottle in brown followed. It was half filled with aspirin pills and beside stood a smaller one in brown, waiting for its role. All eyes went to the big bottle and the label on it, which stated clear for everyone to read – Aspirin.

"Okay this is everything I found. However, something was strange, I know we brought the bottle with the aspirin half a year ago and I only took four or five of them, back then after a huge birthday party. Moreover, two third of the whole bottle are missing, it's . . . What? Why are you all looking like that at me," asked Jimmy to the surrounding mammals.

All eyes went to Jimmy and after a while back to Patty. The only audible reaction was a half loud 'Damn it, she's right!', that came from Nathan but no one responded further, because everyone thought the same. Sherlock Wilde striked.

"What happened? Did I miss something," asked the buck to the crowd, his face stated an obvious confusion.

"Yes, you missed how this beautiful, intelligent and charismatic vixen saves the day and cracks the case," Patty replied with a smile and pointed with her left paw at herself from head to toe.

"You did? How? What happened with Cathy," asked Jimmy now overflowing with curiosity.

"The case is pretty simple . . . I mean if you look at the solution. We have here a case of unconscious self-intoxication through aspirin and two malfunctioning kidneys. In fact, through the aspirin, which stands right in front of you, Jimmy. My guess is, she had backaches from her kidneys and to get rid of the pain, she took the aspirin. Can't blame her for on this . . . ," Patty said and looked over to Jimmy. Nick, Nathan and Elliot just nodded silent to Patty's conclusion.

"Can't blame her? She . . . she never told me! Me! She told me everything but not this . . . Why? Do you also have explanation for this," shouted Jimmy through the little kitchen. Nick and Elliot just stared to the ground and Nathan tried to find something in his tea that wasn't even there. This wasn't their battle it was Patty's and she knew it. Soothing, spoke Patty to the upset bunny, who was close to shed some tears on this day.

"Jimmy, I know her for one day now and all I can say is that she seems to be someone, who doesn't want to bother others with her problems . . .," said Patty.

"OTHERS? I'm her partner! Not just some random buck, god dammit," shouted Jimmy through the little kitchen and walked over to the little kitchen window and started to let his gaze wander over the pure white snow in front of him. His paws were still trembling from anger but he tried to control himself but it was hard work. Everything without Cathy was hard work for him now.

Two big steps, more were not needed to walk over to Jimmy and Patty laid her right paw on his shoulder.

"Yes Jimmy, she is your partner. Like Judy is Nick's and Stella is mine . . . but still, there are things we can't tell you . . . not because we don't want but because we just can not. You know, love is a complicated thing. The closer we are the less we want to burden on the other and the more we are floating away from them . . . It's a balancing act . . . So please, don't be mad at her, she knew how much you have worked and for that you even helped her in the green houses after your shifts. She didn't want you to bother with her problems and so she kept herself . . . to herself," Patty said and she felt how a grey paw laid on her red one. Jimmy didn't turned around but he spoke directly to her, "Thanks Patty, I didn't know she was such a stubborn bunny and don't worry, I think I could never be mad at her."

The grin returned immediately to Patty's face and she replied, "Oh you have no idea, Jimmy. Just today, I found an old and stubborn buck, who had the exact the same problem. Kept everything to himself until it was too much for him. Seems to be a common problem with mammals, if you ask me."

"Okay, so now please explain it to me, what happened to her? I want to understand it," Jimmy said with a stern face. Patty saw, that this buck was dead serious about his bunny.

"Good, then listen. My assumptions is that she took one or two pills whenever the pain was too high, with them she intoxicated slowly her blood because her kidneys weren't able to filter the complete aspirin from it. This resulted in more work for the kidneys and a lower blood production rate because of the hormones the kidneys normally produce. It was a vicious circle and there were just two possible outcomes for her," explained Patricia in a calm voice.

"T-two outcomes," asked Jimmy carefully and felt as if he almost knew the answer.

"Death or treatment after a break down. Good for her it was the second option and even better I was here," Patty said.

"So, we just have to wait and everything will be back to normal?"

Patricia's face became again serious as she started to speak to Jimmy and her focus was now completely on the buck.

"No, not exactly, Jimmy. You see Cathy's kidneys caused the lower blood production and right now, she doesn't have enough blood in her body to keep up her whole system forever. The medics I ordered will be here by this evening, right Nick," Patty asked over her shoulder.

"Yeah, don't worry. Elliot and I have this under control; the medics will be here by this evening. I mean . . . Have I ever disappointed you, Sis?"

Patty didn't answer Nick and just rolled her eyes. Elliot and Nick however chuckled, as they looked on their phones and continued their work. With a shaking head, Patty turned back to Jimmy.

"Anyhow, what I will do now is to find some bunnies who are willing to donate some blood for your little black beauty and . . ."

"If she needs some, then take from me! No matter how much or . . . ," shouted Jimmy but was silenced at once as Patty raised her paw and lowered his right arm back where it belonged.

"Believe me Jimmy; it's more than heartwarming what you would do for her. However, we have no time to check if your and her blood type is matching but I know a group of mammals in this burrow, who know their type exactly. Moreover, I bet there will be at least one bunny with the right type," again Jimmy's shoulders sunk and his face turned sad. Patty seeing it responded immediately, "I know you want to help her but again you need to trust me and you will see, we will all eat dinner together and now let's see what she took until now . . .," for a moment Patty held the little brown plastic flask in her paw and didn't know if she read it correctly.

"Jimmy, who gave you this?"

Confused but with a light smile on his face Jimmy responded, "It's from the hospital, they said this is the medicine we can afford as a treatment for Cathy . . . Why?"

"What you can . . . afford? . . . Esos malditos imbéciles(those damn morons) . . ., " Patty ground her teeth and her last words were said completely in a deep growl. Jimmy took a step back and his eyes went in shock over to Nick, who was as confused as was everybody else in the room. As he watched his sister with some concern and he knew she only cursed in Spanish when she was really pissed about something. It was a habit she developed working in the pediatrician part of the hospital, when she had the urge to curse but didn't want that the kits understood what she said.

"Patty? Is everything okay," Nick asked from behind her, he put his mug on the kitchen island and laid his paw on her shoulder. He felt that she was shaking of anger. Patty however took a deep breath to calm herself a bit down and held the medicine in her paw up, so that everybody could see it.

"No! Nothing is okay! Because this here is bullshit, just bullshit," said Patty and threw the little flask to the ground. The plastic flask slammed on the wooden floor with a banging sound, the heavy impact opened the flask and the pills started to rolled over the whole kitchen area. Jimmy watched stunned from the flask to Patty and back to the flask. All eyes in the room were now on the angry red vixen and her voice was sharp and sarcastic as never before.

"The pills you see rolling over the floor are nettle concentrate, a mild and natural way to treat easy kidney issues or tiny gallstones. Nettle concentrate has some really good advantages it's easy to produce, you can get your paws easily on nettle plants, OHH and the biggest advantage in this case is that . . . It's damn cheap," said Patty as she bowed down to get the pills back in the little plastic flask.

"Wait . . . You mean . . .," Jimmy began to speak but Patty ended his sentence for him, while she put the last pills back, "Yeah, you could have also given her a piece of candy or a grape, the effect on her would have been the same. Exact zero. She needs real medics not . . . this."

"But . . . But, why? She could have died!"

"You said it yourself, Jimmy, they gave you what you could afford and that is what a life is worth for them," Patricia replied in a cold tone.

"But . . . Is the real medicine so expensive," Jimmy asked still stunned about the new information.

"No . . . Well at least not in production but there is only one company who holds the patent for the medicine and they can get any price for it . . . ," Patty stopped and her gaze wandered over to Elliot, who listened exactly to her words and knew that he was meant.

"Get any price for a life? Who would do something like that for money, that's sick," Jimmy shouted and asked this more as a rhetoric question but for Elliot this was serious business and to know that friends suffered because of his family made it even worse.

"Yeah, sick pretty much nails it. In addition, I can tell you my parents would do that. Hah! What am I saying, that's exactly their thing. Keep the number of receiving mammals small, only those who deserve it are worthy taking it and you prove yourself only through one thing and that is money. Oh God, how I hate that," Elliot said and stepped down and walked slowly out of the kitchen. As Elliot walked pass Jimmy he mumbled just half loud to him, "I'm sorry Jimmy, that you didn't get the correct medics you needed immediately but don't worry from now on, you will get what you need," and left.

Nathan exhaled deeply and said, "I will follow him, a depressed beaver is not what I want at the moment. We had enough grief today already."

"I will go to; I need to make some calls . . . if you need anything Patty, call me, okay? You too, Jimmy," Nick said and followed Nathan out of the little apartment.

"Did I miss something again?"

"No Jimmy, it's something you couldn't know . . . let me explain. The company, who holds almost all patents for medicine and also for the one Cathy needs, is Anderson Pharmaceuticals or AP in short, they produce everything. The yearly flu vaccination? AP. Medics against Depression or any other kind or mental illness? AP. They also produce almost every smaller or bigger medic and other supply. Look, even the Aspirin Cathy and you took is from them…," Patty explained but Jimmy just shook his head and looked still puzzled at her.

"What has this to do with Elliot?"

"He . . . is the oldest son of the Anderson family who owns AP. He broke long ago with them and lives on his own, Elliot hates them and their company. But no matter what, he also responsible for their actions."

"I . . . I didn't know that! Oh damned . . . today is just not my day, " Jimmy said.

"Don't worry, give him time and he'll be okay . . . and you have a more important tasks before you. Take care of your son and I will take care of your bunny, okay," Patty said with a smile, that soothed Jimmy enough to let him lose a bit of his fear about her. He nodded and turned to the door but he didn't leave his apartment without controlling the state of his bunny.

Finally alone in the kitchen, Patty took Nick's mug and drank the rest of his tea. Instantly the red vixen wrenched her face because of the bitter taste.

"Ugh . . . I forgot that Nick drinks this without sugar. Not good, not good," to get the bitter taste from her tongue Patty searched hectically for something else in the little kitchen and found it finally in a little bowl on the counter – rock candy.

"Well, hello my little friend, time to sweet up my day . . . mmhm. Much better," Patty said and sucking on the rock turned she around to the medical record, that lay heavy on the little kitchen island. Multiple files, dossiers and other papers were piled up to a little tower and waited just to be examined but this had to wait, first there was a bunny in need of help and without further looking at the papers, Patty walked out of the room and towards Cathy.

 **Cathy**

What a nice dream it was . . .

They were all there . . . most of the Hopps family . . .

. . . Judy, Jess, Nick, Thomas, Nathan and Stella . . .

And James of course . . . Nick sung for us . . . Judy's said those kind words . . .

James told from our first meeting . . . and then, he went down on his knees . . .

. . . I still got shivers from the thought about this . . . What a wonderful dream . . .

Now I lay here in my bed and slowly drifted back from my dreams into reality. I wished I could have stayed a bit longer in this dream and I wished I could have taken a longer look at the ring; it almost looked like the real one. Any minute now, I would open my eyes and look into the dark blue ones from James but not now, maybe we could still cuddle a little bit. Slowly I stretched out my paws and grabbed what was right in front of me and where normally James should be.

I caught something but it was not James and it was also no pillow (or maybe it is?) but it's definitely fluffy; maybe five more minutes will be okay with this pillow . . .

"Who would have thought, that we two would end up in bed, mhmm Cathy?"

That voice, it's familiar but it's not James . . . wait in my bed? What happened? Instantly, my eyes were wide open but there were no dark blue eyes that looked at me, no. Instead, I looked into two light green eyes and the teasing smile of Patty.

The fog in front of me and in my head slowly cleared. There came more things to my mind that I realized. First, this was no pillow, this was Patty's tail. I instantly let go of it and draw myself back from her. Most mammals are strongly offended if you just touch their tail . . . but Patty seemed to have no problem with that.

"Don't worry sweetheart, my patients are always allowed to stroke my tail," said Patty, looking back at the papers in her lap. She sat with a light blue dress that had candy canes all over it and crossed legged on James side of the bed. From time to time, she made notes on a notebook, while she skimmed through my medical record. Most of the time she was chewing on the end of a pencil, which looked already worn out and read in the long and complex medical papers. James and I couldn't make a lot of sense out of it but we had no real knowledge in medicine, anatomy or biology . . . okay maybe the biology of flowers but nothing that was further from that subject.

As I looked around me, I noticed the second thing that came to my mind, after the blanket almost completely slipped down. I knew she was a female above all this even a doctor, I bet she saw until now more mammals naked than any bunny in this burrow but still I felt ashamed.

"I . . . I'm naked? W-why?"

"Well, how should I examine you with your clothes on? That would be pretty difficult and don't worry, only Judy and Stella helped me," Patty replied with a grin. As fast as I could I pulled the blanket back on me and over my whole body, just my head was sticking out of it.

"Are you ashamed or are you cold, Honey?"

"A bit of both?"

"Oh sweetheart, don't be. I tell you what, we'll give you some clothes, then I'll text the others and we'll have all dinner together, what do you say? You must be pretty hungry by now . . . Well, I am and I'm also ready with your medical plan. So, I think I earned myself something to eat and some time with my Snowflake," Patty replied grinning to me.

Moreover, just now I recognized the third unusual thing, something that was so uncommon for me in the last years, that I needed some time to recognize it – I felt good. There was no pain anywhere in my body, not in my back or in my head, no dizziness or any other kind of complaint. I just felt good.

Patty started to sort my medical records and laid them finally on the night tray of the bed. As soon as Patty wanted me to stand up, I wrapped my paws around her waist, pulled her back to me, and gave her hug. This was normally not the things I did to others . . . I mean hug other females, while I'm completely naked and crying big tears of joy, while my head rested on her back. The fabric on Patty's back was slowly drenched with tears and what not but she didn't cared, quite the opposite, Patty turned around and took me into a real hug, where she soothingly stroked over my head. I just couldn't stop with the crying and the sobbing but I still tried to talk to her with my teary voice.

"Thank you, Patty . . . you saved my life today."

"No, honey. I just did my job . . . but there are others you can thank."

Her head rested on mine while she hugged me and during this time, I got a good image of her scent. It was sweet and reminded me slightly of peaches.

"And I promise you something Cathy, give me six months and you both can try it again," said Patty with a big grin on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"You know . . . the thing with the bees, the flowers and *puff* some month later you are more bunnies than before," Patty explained and waited for a reply but I couldn't. A shock went through my whole body. Until now, I thought it would be impossible for me to have another litter with James in the future. I thought this option was completely off the table. A warm feeling spread through my body, one I had long missed and it felt better than ever before. Nevertheless, just some seconds later came the questions and the worries.

"But . . . but, what if the same thing happens again . . . what if I lose another litter, I don't know if I could stand something like that again . . . I don't want that to happen again. . . I couldn't bear that . . . I don't want that it's my fault again . . . ," the negative thoughts and my crying were back. With force, I clasped tighter to Patty but she held me by my shoulders and shoved me some inches away. Her light green eyes were more than serious and completely fixated on me, had I said something wrong?

"Why do you think it's your fault," asked Patty with a demanding voice.

"I . . . I don't know, who else could be at fault for this?"

"They never told you? . . . What in the name of the holy mammals is this for a terrible hospital you have here in town for? Geez, you know what! Forget it! From now on, I'm your doctor for any concern and I will take care of you, even if that means, that you will give birth here in the burrow," Patty said with dedication and I was now more confused than the moment I woke up.

"What? But what happened back then?"

"You had something called hypercalcaemia and this can be treated during a pregnancy but they just overlooked it or whatever happened in that 'hospital', back then . . . Honestly, I would just like to go there with Judy and throw a little tantrum," said Patty.

"It . . . it wasn't my fault?"

"What? Nooo, how could you think something like that," Patty replied, took my face in her paws and locked my gaze to hers, "Whatever happened there, this wasn't your fault. Not yours and also not Jimmy's, okay?"

With my head still in her paws, I nodded slightly and not even seconds later Patty's smile appeared back on her muzzle. For a short moment, she petted my cheeks a bit too hard and turned back to stand up. With my own paws, I tried to massage the small pain out of my cheeks and thought about all of the things Patty said to me.

"I'm gonna be alright . . . no more pain," I said to myself while I was caught by my own thoughts. While Patty stood up and stretched her limbs, before she typed some messages on her phone.

Kits, no more pain, now my dream that I had before could become true – this could be the greatest day in my life. Overwhelmed by all of this, there was just one option left for me – I started to laugh. At first, I laughed quietly then after some minutes more heartly. Patty turned around and looked to me while she tilted her head with a smile.

"What's wrong, black beauty?"

"I was just imagining what it would be like if the dream I had while I was unconscious would come true. . . It was such a nice one . . . but well, maybe later," I replied and looked dreamingly up to her.

"And what did you dreamed," Patty asked while she helped me up from the bed.

"I had the dream that James asked me if I want to marry him . . . ," I said and shook my head, as if we had the money for this; it was a nice dream but maybe one day. I watched how Patty's smile vanish from her muzzle and she pulled a little flashlight from the pocket of her small jacket. With big steps, she walked over to me and started to examine my eyes.

"Does the light hurt you," asked Patty and went from on eye to the other with the flashlight. I chuckled about the question. There was no pain. Nowhere.

"No? Why do you ask," I questioned chuckling, because I thought she made a joke? Patty's face remained serious but relaxed after some seconds

"Ohh, just . . . just a last check, if everything is okay. Never mind. Come, put some clothes on, we are on the way to the hall, they are waiting for us," Patty said almost singing and stored the little flashlight now in the pocket of her dress and lent me a hand to stand up from the bed.

Everything felt so light now, no comparison to this morning. Walking, breathing and even the stretching were no longer a problem. With a great mood, I walked over to my closet, and took some undies, a jeans and the typical Hopps Christmas sweater out and put it on. The sweater was an easy choice and I knew Bonnie liked to see me in it.

Together we walked through the calm burrow, I didn't even know it like this and it felt almost eerie to meet no bunny in the long corridors or hear any laughter. With great patience, Patty explained what happened to me. She began by saying that I was out for almost six hours. She told me about the blood donations from Amanda and Sally. Patty said happily that, "Now you can say that real Hopps blood is running through your veins.", she explained what the aspirin did to me and explained which medics I would get from now on and that I and Pop-pop had in January an appointment in the Zootopia Central Hospital with Dr. Patricia Wilde. A light chuckle came from her as she said that, as if she wouldn't take her own title seriously. After some minutes, we reached the double-sided door to the main hall. I could already hear the chatter of mammals from behind it.

Patty stood herself in front of the door, looked with a grin to me and asked, "And? Are you ready?"

"Yeah? Why not?"

I couldn't understand her question and didn't think about it too much. However the moment she opened the door, I was just overwhelmed by what I saw. Everyone and this time really everyone stood ready and looked at me with a grin, I could just put my paws on my muzzle. On the left stood Emilia in the open kitchen area with ten or so bunnies who, watched me from there. In front of me stood groups of bunnies sorted by their heights and the different years, most of them were shouting my name and others applauded my reappearance in the big hall, I needed some moments to recognize that Elliot stood among them filming everything with his phone. Behind them stood Stew, Bonnie, Jess, Judy, Nick, Stella and Nathan, all of them applauding and waiting for something. On one side, even Otto Hopps sat and smiled lightly over to me, on his lap sat the four Rose siblings who had their little paws raised and waved slowly from left to right.

What was going on here? What . . .

From the howling crowd in front of me walked slowly Thomas and James over to me. Thomas held something in his paws. All of this reminded me of the dream I had . . .

Patty who was now behind me, leaned down a bit and whispered into my ears, "What if, that was no dream? What if . . . this really happened and you just forgot that it was real?"

"You mean he will. . . ," I asked with wide eyes but Patty just shrugged and said, "Maybe, let's see what will happen from here on."

The memories of the dream I had flooded my mind again and now slowly it all came back. The frozen lake, the song from Nick, Judy's words and James…

Slightly smiling James stopped directly in front of me and took my paws. He was nervous but he tried his best to hide it. For a moment I looked to Thomas who was also smiling up to me in his best manner.

The hall was complete silent; just the crackling in the fireplace could be heard.

"Cathy, I said so many things to you today nice things, beautiful things and also some sad things but I can't repeat them. Not because, I don't want to or could but because I can no longer wait to ask you this question…," Jimmy began and knelt down in front of me; holding my paws and looking up to me. He nodded to Thomas and he opened the little box with a ring in it. Moreover, what a ring it was, I was blinded. . . How could he afford something like this, did he worked overtime? No! Even with overtime work, he could never afford something like this . . . but did this really matter now?

With shaking paws James took the ring out of the little box and held it in his right between index finger and thumb. The shaking became stronger and stronger, while he held with his left paw my left, ready to put the ring on my finger.

"Catherine Melody Carter, will you . . ."

"Yes!"

A chuckling went through the audience and for a moment, James looked up to me confused.

"Honey, I think you have to wait for the rest of the question," James said and almost started to laugh but I shook just my head and replied to him with teary eyes.

"I'm sorry but as much as you can't wait to ask me, so can't I wait to answer – Yes, I will marry you James Berthold Hopps."

There was no more question from him and in his eyes shone the light

"That was all, I wanted to hear from you," said James and put the ring as fast as he could on my finger. Finally, he was at his aim, he stood up, took my face into his paws and kissed me like he planned it since so many years or so he told me this night.

Hell broke loose around us. Howling, applause and screams of joy came from every side as long as the kiss went on and it was a long kiss between me and James, maybe the longest we two ever shared. After what felt like an eternity, our lips parted and we took a look at each other. We both knew what would follow now, an old bunny tradition, the selection of the best man and the honored maiden. In huge families like the ones of bunnies, we needed to exactly clarify who were the ones we choose to help us or there would be more than enough arguments afterwards, where everyone claimed to be the one and only for the bride or groom.

Paw in paw, we turned to the still chaotic crowd in front of us. James raised his right paw and the hall, went slowly quiet. I had an idea whom James would choose.

For a moment, I took a good look at my ring and my heart started to beat like crazy again. This was no copy of the original ring I wished for once as we were visiting Judy in Zootopia. I was only kidding back then, I never thought he'd remember this ring or that he would really buy it. The one on my paw was the real deal. How could this be possible . . . James had more than enough things to explain to me but not now.

"I think all the bunnies know what will come now but for the ones new to this family . . . Cathy and I, we will now choose the best man and the honored maiden. It's an old bunny tradition, and we do this to show our gratitude and appreciation for someone, the task of those two is to take care of us at the wedding and the day before. Those two are not allowed to part from our side in those last hours. Alright . . . Cathy do you want to begin?"

"No, you can start, darling," I replied and honestly I was just happy, he could take all the time in the world, if he wanted.

A short smile from him and I knew he wanted to start, he was eager to do so.

"Okay . . . I know this will be untypical for bunny standards but I think after such a day and in this crazy family normality is more a foreign word than a real status. . . This day and the realization of this proposal would have been impossible without the mammal I have chosen . . . Even when it sounds weird, I don't care, for me you are already like a brother . . . Nick I want you as my best man," said James and pointed towards Nick with his paw stretched out paw.

"Okay, what do I have to say," Nick asked with a grin to Judy, she however whispered some words to her fox, which he replied with his typical grin, "I Nicholas Wilde, swear that on your wedding day and your last day in freedom . . . _auhhh_. What was that for Carrots?"

Half-angry and half-amused Judy spoke up to her fox after she gave him a hit with her fist, "I told you it's 'last day without partner' not 'last day in freedom', you dumb fox!"

"Other words, same meaning…," Nick replied with a wink to Judy, who just rolled her eyes and shook her head as a reply. Another wave of laughter went through the rows of mammals. Nick however waited till most of them were quiet and started all over again.

"But now, a bit more seriousness from all of you . . . , Please," said Nick sarcastic and grinned to the assembled crowd, " I, Nicholas Wilde, swear, that on your wedding day and the last day without your partner, there will be no harm or suffering that will come upon you, for this I stand in with my name."

"And that's what I wanted to hear from you, Nick," Jimmy said and looked down on me I was just . . . Well, happy. If anyone had told me that this morning, I wouldn't have believed it.

Most of the bunnies looked now to Judy and Jessica; both were the ones with the highest chance to become my honored maiden. I hoped they were not too disappointed but I was sure they would understand my decision after this crazy day.

In addition, I needed to tell them something that had lain for a long time on my shoulders. My voice was trembling because of all the emotions but I tried to stand my ground in front of my family. I folded my paws in front of me and began.

"At first, I need to say something . . . To all of you. Something that's been going for a long time through my mind but I never found the right words or time to tell . . . And that's . . . thank you, thanks to all of you . . . For taking me into your home when I lost mine, for accepting me as one of you and most of all for saving my life. Without you . . . I-I wouldn't know where I would stand today but I know my life wouldn't be as full of love, friends or happiness. I was an only child and never had a lot of friends but to be here with all of you . . . I . . . Thank you," in the end there were too many emotions. Positive and negative ones and I could just hardly hold back. I heard the silent crying from a lot of bunnies in front of me but also the loud crying from Stew, who was this time not scolded by Bonnie for his emotional outbreak. Both bunnies and the head of this burrow had their arms around each other and listened to my words. With my left paw, I wiped the tears away and began to exclaim my decision.

"If I could, I would make all female mammals in this burrow my honored maiden but unfortunately that is not how it works. Moreover, I know how all of you cared and supported me, especially you two Judy and Jess. But I can't do this," for a moment I stopped and saw a lot of dazzled faces in front of me but there were two exceptions, Judy and Jess, who nodded at me, as if they wanted to tell me, yes you are making the right decision and we approve it.

"For this I can ask only one mammal," slowly, I turned my head to the right and searched for the red vixen behind me," Patty? I know you said it was just your work, which you had done but you saved my life today and what you told me back then . . . I believe you, with everything you said to me and I want you as my honored maiden and no one else."

Mumbling and talking all over the bunny crowd, Otto however started to laugh loudly and clapped into his paws. Even for the glib vixen, this question came out of the blue. Her muzzle which stood open for a short moment, turned back into a smug grin. To show me her acceptance of the question Patty bowed her head down and made even a little courtesy. Grinning to me she said ,"What the bride wishes for, shall the bride receive. This vixen here, will stand by your side on your last day without partner and on the day of your wedding. For this I stand in with my name."

A final round of applause went through the hall before all the bunnies and other mammals walked to the new wedding couple, to give their congratulations to them.

An evening of celebrating us the wedding couple and the recovery of myself lay ahead of us and it seemed Nick had ordered besides the medics also some exotic alcohol for the whole crowd, well not for me, I still have to take it slowly but for the others of course. Thomas came over to me after all the bunnies had ended the long reign of paw shaking, hugging and directed me to the tables they had already prepared for the whole crowd, all of them had waited just for me with the meal.

The long table was decorated in red and white, together with some mistletoe, to the big dislike of Nick. My place was between James and Thomas but we were surrounded by our friends and family. Nathan was placed in front of me beside Jess, a fact that made him a little bit nervous, on his other side sat Elliot grinning like a little kid with another interesting sweater on, today it stated 'It's not a bug, it's a feature' . . . I didn't get it but maybe the right one would. The next two were Judy and Nick, who were in a heavy discussion about what a best man could and couldn't do. Judy was slowly flustered about Nick, who insisted on taking Jimmy on his last 'day of freedom' to a club tour through Zootopia and bringing him in the morning of the wedding back to the burrow.

"I don't see the problem Carrots? Whatever happens in Zootopia stays in Zootopia. You and the others will never know and in the morning, we are back. Just the guys and Jimmy. I would call it a perfect plan," ended Nick his statement.

"If something happens Nick, I promise you, all twelve precincts will hunt you down and I will lead them," Judy replied angry to her fox.

Nick just shook his head, as if he wanted to say, no you wouldn't.

However, Patty also in high spirit sat besides her white vixen and both seemed to hold paws under the table. Emilia, who held up a wine bottle, poured Stew and Bonnie on the front side of the table one glass of wine after the other in. It was a light-hearted mood in the hall, perfect to celebrate a young wedding couple, thought Cathy and turned to James. As she looked him in the eye and Thomas hugged her from the other side, she knew one thing for sure,' It's a good life as long as I have these two with me.'

 **Nick**

Loud and noisy Judy's phone vibrated on the table and the first beams of light from the morning sun already illuminated the small room to a certain extent. Bright enough to see clothing of two mammals spread all over the floor. However, not bright enough to see what those clothes exactly are. Not even a second later and two big ears with black tips, pointed out from under the blanket.

"Don't go Carrots, it's a trick to lure you into the cold...," Nick mumbled into Judy's ear. Both mammals laid holding to each other in Judy's bed, under a warm and heavy blanket and actual neither had the will to stand up but after a heavy fight in Judy's mind, her drive and curiosity won over Nick's soothing talk. With heavy resistance from her fox, the doe tried to free herself from the warm and comfortable bed.

"Oh come on Nick, I need to check this. It's could be from the academy," Judy said with a chuckle and pushed herself out from under the blanket. Again, there was this cold, that made her shiver every morning when she left Nick alone in the bed. She wore nothing, a fact that made the cold even worse but she could also feel the heavy locket on her chest, something that soothed her and made her calm, whenever she took it in her paws.

"Blueberries, you know you have to stay here and cuddle with me, Fluff," Nick replied with a muffled voice from under the blanket, "I don't get it, this is the last day where we can stay longer in bed. Nathan is with some kits exploring that old church in the woods. Mum gives cooking courses for the bunnies and Stella. Elliot played video games with some of your siblings the whole night, which means he is dead tired and won't be up until we have to catch the train. Oh and I bet $5 that Patty still walks around the burrow with the stupid tag she made!"

Another chuckle came from Judy and she thought back to the day after the proposal. Patty was still so happy over Cathy's choice that she made herself a little name tag which stated for everyone visible 'Honored Maiden of the Bride', Stella couldn't stand it and tried a whole day to convince her to take it off, but every attempt made Patty even more eager to wear it. Judy herself and most of the bunnies found it funny but not awkward.

"Party pooper, she likes it and is happy with it, so what's the problem?"

At once, popped Nick's head from under the blanket and looked with a questioning gaze at his doe.

"The problem is, that she's a 25 year old vixen and with a doctor in medicine! Damned she didn't even wear normally her nametag in the hospital that stated that she is a Doctor! Most of the mammals think she's a nurse . . . Well, whatever. So who is texting you, Carrots?"

"Oh, jealous Mr. Wilde?"

"Naah, just interested . . . ," stated Nick and he tried to hide his curiosity.

For a while, there was no reaction from Judy and she was so absorbed in reading, that Nick had enough time to let his gaze wander through the room, over the clothes on the ground, which they had 'lost' last night after a too long evening with too much hot mulled wine and the attempt to play charades in that kind of state. No one knew who had won, maybe Jess but it could also be Cathy or even Elliot and in the end it didn't even mattered. What did was the fact that they had fun or at least that was what they thought.

On the bookshelf, Nick spotted the old picture of Jess and Judy in which both looked very grumpy in the camera with their broken limbs. They had an accident with nine years when they tried to sledge down a hill that was too big for them. The result was a badly broken right arm for Judy and a broken leg for Jess, both sisters needed to stay in the burrow for the whole winter. A torturous time but the two sisters grew more together than ever before.

A smile crept over Nick's face as he looked finally at his bunny, who stood in front of her desk with a twitching tail.

'Something seemed to have peaked her interest', thought Nick until Judy's tail stopped suddenly with twitching and remained completely calm.

"What's wrong, Carrots? Did they take the salad from the meal plan?"

However there was no reaction from the purple eyed doe.

"Judy?"

"Oh, sorry. I just thought about this here . . . and was a bit . . . distracted," Judy said and thought about her next words.

"W-we get new trainer in the next half of the Police Academy training."

"Who did they hire this time? I hope someone with a sense of humor," Nick said and yawned heartily.

"Two ZBI Agents…," started Judy but was interrupted by Nick, " . . . So, no sense of humor then? How sad."

Nick made a short break and watched Judy for a short time.

"Carrots, what is it? Your tail is twitching again like crazy and your ears are up as if there is a criminal in this room and I don't talk about this forbidden good looking fox over here . . . Hello? Fox to Bunbun? Anybody there," Nick asked and finally stood up. Tripping almost over his Christmas sweater on his way to Judy. Cursing on his last steps, he stumbled to his bunny and he stood behind her, now just two naked mammals looking on one phone.

Nick sensitive eyes needed a moment before they adjusted to the bright smartphone light. However, as soon as they did, he started immediately to read.

###

 _To: Officer Judy Hopps_

 _From: ZPD Administration_ _administration_

 _Subject: Announcement for ZPA trainer_

 _Announcement for all trainers of the Zootopia Police Academy,_

 _Due to construction work in the Zootopia Bureau of Investigation's Training Center, will their recruits be part of the Zootopia Police Academy for the next period of training. Those two agents will overtake some work of the ZPD trainers. Please respect their work and authority. For further information, please respond to this Email._

 _ZBI Director of Training_

 _Special Agent Jack Savage_

 _ZBI Associate Director of Training_

 _Agent Hannah Dawnguard_

 _From the Administration of the ZPD and ZPA_

 _###_

"Well, I knew we would meet him sooner or later but I never expected it too be so soon in our Police Officer career," Nick said and laid his head on Judy's shoulder.

"You sound as if you know him," Judy replied. Nick couldn't see her face but he clearly heard the questioning tone in her voice.

"Maybe . . . but I think you have to wait for him, to answer those questions," replied Nick short and hoped that his bunny had no further questions to this case.

To believe in somebody was never Judy's problem but she never did this blindly. She turned around and set herself on her desk. Her smile was soft and Judy began to speak to Nick while she let one of her paws stroke through his chest fur ,"My dear fox, you want to tell me, that on top of all the bad guys you know in the city, you also know the good guys?"

All she earned was just a smug grin from him and a pseudo intellectual answer.

"You see Carrots, that's your problem . . . You make a difference between good and bad guys in this city and that is something you shouldn't do, especially not with him," Nick replied.

With a quick grab, placed Nick his paws under Judy's butt, lifted her up to him and pressed her on his chest. Their muzzles were very close now and Nick placed carefully his lips on Judy's. Both mammals closed their eyes and enjoyed the moment until they heard the banging of little paws against the door and the scream of four little bunnies.

"UNCLE NICK! AUNT JUDY! WAKE UP!"

Nick groaned as soon as he heard the familiar voices and let his head hanging backwards, Judy however looked with a risen eyebrow at first over Nicks shoulder and then to his fox.

"I'm sorry Carrots, I promised them yesterday that we would eat breakfast together on our last day in the burrow . . . ," Nick said and looked apologizing to Judy.

"It's fine, believe me. I'm more than happy that they like you," said Judy and pressed her fox a quick kiss on the muzzle.

"What do you say Carrots? A little shower to start our day before we eat breakfast with the LITTLE MONSTERS," Nick said definitely too loud and waited for a reply from the closed door.

"WE ARE NO MONSTERS," countered the little bunnies in front of the door.

"Well, a good idea is a good idea, right Slick? Girls wait a moment, we have to shower and put some cloth on," Judy shouted to the bunny girls.

"Why do you have to put cloth on . . . do you sleep naked?"

"Yes, you're aunt and I sleep always naked and we love it," Nick said with a smirk but the answer also earned him a little punch from his bunny. After this, Judy smiled and leaned onto Nick's shoulder, with closed eyes she inhaled the scent of Nick and let him continue his way to the shower.

Smiling carried Nick his bunny to the little bath but he cursed internally about the end of the holidays, until he remembered that they will soon return to the Triburrow area for a wedding, a fact that soothed him greatly.

'Hhmmm, how bunny weddings are? I should ask Judy about this,' thought Nick and lost himself in the eyes of Judy as he looked down to her, 'Later,... I think my question has time.'

#####

Many thanks to my editor cimofj2


	26. Old Friends

**Jack**

 _Once I pass'd through a populous city imprinting my brain for future_

 _use with its shows, architecture, customs, traditions,_

 _Yet now of all that city I remember only a woman I casually met_

 _there who detain'd me for love of me,_

 _Day by day and night by night we were together-all else has long_

 _been forgotten by me,_

 _I remember I say only that woman who passionately clung to me,_

 _Again we wander, we love, we separate again,_

 _Again she holds me by the hand, I must not go,_

 _I see her close beside me with silent lips sad and tremulous._

 _Walt Whitman_

' _But I did.'_

He awoke, even when the clock hadn't rung yet. With tired eyes, Jack stared at the ceiling of his small room, both arms stuck under his head and like almost every morning the volume of poems lay on the bare fur of his upper body. Jack didn't have to check what poem was open, in the end it was always the same one.

Jack took the book with his right paw and put it on the nightstand next to him. For the short time of its existence, the book already looked very worn for a bound edition, that even had one of these red fabric bookmarks and which was supposed to make life easier.

Even though he had overslept, he did not lay the book very gently on the table and the cover turned and showed the first and usually blank page of the book. However, this one was not blank, on the right side was a dedication written with a pen, the handwriting was fine and easy to read.

 _For Jack,_

 _Maybe, this book teaches you something about the heart and not just about the mind like your other books._

 _S._

It was time to get up, Jack got on his feet and stretched all his limbs until he heard a satisfying crackling sound and knew it was time to stop. His gaze wandered through the room and over a desk, cupboard and small bathroom behind a door, camp bed - typical ZPA standard but everything he needed. A short look at his watch showed him, that he still had half an hour before the recruits would begin their training.

'Still enough time for a cigarette at the window . . . Maybe I can finally read through the list of recruits that's on my table, before Hannah bothers me with this again,' thought the black stripped hare and walked to the little mirror over the old sink in his little room. The face that stared back at him had dark circles around his eyes and messy fur that stood up in every direction. Bored and tired was the hare in the mirror.

'You let yourself go, Jack. She wouldn't like that . . . ,' Jack thought and chuckled silent to himself ,' . . . She would just unpack her brush with the sunflower on the backside and start brushing my fur with a smile and humming this French song, to which I can never remember the lyrics . . . And of course I wouldn't like it. Not the brushing and not the humming . . . She was such a strange agent . . . .'

Jack had closed his eyes to better concentrate on the image in his mind and felt now the sleep was crawling back into his limbs and mind.

'Stop it Jack . . . Think further and you will regret it . . . She's gone . . . So let her be gone,' the dark and cold voice in his head said. He obeyed his conscience for a moment but without really noticing it, he looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were burning from the little sleep of the last few weeks but still he clearly saw the scars on his body and with them, the memories of long gone days came to light again.

'How many were from protecting her? Possible most of them, she was clumsy, too kind-hearted and . . . , damned Jack! Stop it!' Jack thought about his scars, again, he drifted away with his thoughts.

The hare shook his head and started pouring water into the sink to clean his face. With two strong slaps from each paw, he ended his thoughts about the past and banned them far back into his mind. Clean and finally ready for the day, Jack put a black tank top and black shorts on, the typical ZBI trainings outfit.

He took the list of recruits from the table together with his cigarettes and walked over to the window. With a quick grab, he opened the window completely and sat himself on the frame. There was no more snow outside but despite that, it was still cold, at least -2°C but Jack didn't cared. The cold was something that he actually liked.

Before he even looked at the list, Jack lit one of the cigarettes and took a deep breath, trying to keep the smoke as long in his lungs as possible. He ended this as he felt the effect of the nicotine set in and he slowly calmed down.

'Let's see what we have here,' Jack thought and turned the first side of paper around. With his cigarette hanging from his mouth and his back leaning against the frame of the window, he almost lost both, cigarette and balance, as he read the first name.

 _Elliot Anderson_

'What in hell does a known hacker and cyber terrorist want here in the ZPA? Work? No, that is something he could have done comfortable from home. Maybe a safe Haven? Could be, I need to keep an eye on him. Official, he is just a normal citizen and nothing else,' Jack thought and turned some more pages, mostly uninteresting mammals until he came to the 'C' category.

 _Estella Conroy_

She didn't even look like her, and yet Jack couldn't avert his eyes from the image stuck to the file.

'Jack, they don't even look alike. Conroy's fur is pure white. HERS was more creme colored. Conroy's eyes are sky blue, HER eyes were steel grey, Conroy is also taller than HER . . . ,'Jack thought and almost didn't notice his cigarette slowly burning down as he stared at the picture of the arctic vixen.

"Damned!"

Jack cursed as the glowing end of his cigarette almost reached his fur. He put it out to prevent further accidents; his paw had already too many burn scars from other cigarette accidents. Jack went on in the list of recruits. Again, a bigger amount of uninteresting mammals, until the only name with a 'G' was in Jack's paw.

 _Nathaniel Graham_

Obviously, Nathan was a young hybrid, with the striking visual characteristic of heterochromia and big parts of a black wolf in his genes nevertheless, it was not the appearance that made Jack curious, it was his last name.

'Graham - from where do I know this name? Work? Possible. However, which side? The bad guys or the good guys? Possible one of the bad guys or why should I remember exactly this name? It's not that I walk every morning past it. So, who are you Nathan,' Jack thought and made an internally note for himself. He turned another page and looked at the photo of the mammal, he had seen for almost two months in the daily newspaper.

 _Judith L. Hopps_

She had been called Savior of Zootopia, Hero of the city, role model and 'what not' else. Jack didn't know what he should think about her. He didn't believe in something like heroes because they never lived up to the expectations of the mammals and they never stayed like this to the end. In addition, she seemed to be very idealistic. Which meant for Jack just one thing — she was stubborn.

Jack shook his head and looked through some more papers until he heard two lite knocks on his door. It was no mystery for him who stood in front of it; with a deep sigh, he laid down the last four recruit papers and walked to the door.

'She is early, well better than too late . . . And I think the most interesting recruits were already in the pile I looked through, the chance for surprises should be low,' Jack thought and snatched the water bottle from the table on his way to the door.

What Jack didn't know, was the fact, that if he had gone to the 'W' section of last names, he would find an old and familiar face on the paper. Someone he thought was long dead. He would have seen one of the rare mammals on this planet he would call a friend . . . And the only mammal who ever called him a friend. He didn't judged Jack, he knew that life wasn't just black and white and the line between justice and revenge was small, if sometimes not even existent.

He opened his door and took a sip from his water; he had just taken from the table. The female leopard looked emotionlessly down to the hare. She wore the same black ZBI trainings outfit.

"Good Morning, Special Agent Savage," the leopard said dry.

"Good Morning, Hannah," Jack replied but the leopard remained distant. Hannah pinched her eyes together and looked with disgust down to Jack.

"You know, that I would prefer it, if you address me with my full agent name, Mr. Savage," Hannah said again in a dry tone.

Jack's eyes were still fixated on Hannah's and he wouldn't give in for any second, not to her. For two years, the two were partners but they were as distant as if they knew each other for five minutes. To be professional at work was something that Jack appreciated very much but what Hannah did was out of the norm. Until now, he hadn't seen her laugh or even smile. She was almost too serious to be a real mammal; all in all, she resembled more a machine than a living being, whereas the accentuation laid completely on 'living' . . . Who was he trying to lie to here? As if he was any different, work was all that reigned over his life in the last two years.

He almost replied with a wisecrack but Jack thought this over in the last second and kept it formal.

"My apologies and I will try to address you from now on, just as I should, Agent Dawnguard."

The leopard relaxed slowly and turned around, the danger that she could snap seemed to be gone, well at least for now. She had once broke another agent the arm, because he was also calling her Hannah.

"Good, can we go now?"

"Of course, Agent Dawnguard," Jack replied with a strong emphasis on the word agent but tried not to sound like a sarcastic ass. Hannah didn't seem to bother or to hear it and started to walk in direction of the stairway. Annoyed, Jack followed her steps, until he caught up to her. For a moment, he thought about locking his door but the most personal things in his room were a book with poems and his last package of cigarettes.

And if something were stolen, then certainly the cigarettes but not the book. Who would steal a book with poems?

However, the book . . . it was important to him . . . even more than he liked to admit. It was usually his last resort to get some sleep at night. Mostly he only leafed through the pages until he found a poem he liked, but sometimes he read one poem after another until his eyes finally fell and sleep overpowered him. No matter which poem he remembered last the morning after, the same page of the book was always open at the end. Actually, he didn't need the book; the poem had already burned into his brain after the first reading. It seemed like Jack was being haunted by this one piece.

'It's a gift from her to you! Do you want something to happen to the book,' Jack thought and already heard his guilty conscience scream. A loud sigh escaped Jack's muzzle before he started to speak.

"Please assemble all recruits already on the yard, I will join you as soon as I finished something," Jack said to Hannah.

The leopard however answered without turning around to her superior," As you wish Mr. Savage."

'At least no talking back,' Jack thought and turned around to his room but instead of just locking his door, he went into the room and to his nightstand with the book. The first page was still open.

' _Maybe this book teaches you something about the heart . . ._ I wish it could have been done sooner . . . "Jack thought, reading these words and closed it.

Tired but ready for another meaningless day of work, Jack walked through the quiet and empty academy, down to the main hallway, passing the huge dining hall where just minutes ago masses of mammals ate their breakfast. Jack was never a morning person and so he refused the idea of breakfast.

'She liked long breakfasts, do you remember?'

In addition, he also hated his inner voice, always just bringing back useless information.

He swung the door in front of him wide open and saw the already alphabetic lined up cadets waiting for him. As he walked closer, he could see that the variety of mammals was this year bigger this year than normal. 'Probably a short spike because by Miss Hopps success.'

Calm and neutral Jack stood himself in front of a grinning beaver, who was the first in the row. He never met Elliot Anderson in person and he never thought that it would happen in the Police academy. Until now, he heard his name just as one of the suspects, of the intrusion into the internal Network of Anderson Pharmaceuticals. However, this was also one of those cases that could not be solved.

Jack put his arms behind his back and walked slowly down the alley of mammals.

"My name is Special Agent Jack Savage, member of the ZBI and from now on, one of your new trainers. The ZBI will provide a special training for special mammals, as thanks to use the academy also for ZBI recruits. The mammals that will get the chance for this special treatment will be picked by Agent Dawnguard me and over there. The training with me will be hard and exhausting."

On his way, his gaze again stuck on Stella for way too long and like earlier he couldn't separate his eyes from her. Stella however became slightly nervous that the new trainer took an especially long time looking at her. Aware of his mistake, he went on, took just a quick look at Nathan and stood now in front of Judy.

The eyes of the two mammals met and Jack explained loud, clearly and unmistakably his set of rules.

"Listen! In my training, there is no preferential treatment of anyone! Neither for weaker cadets nor for so-called heroes! Do I make myself clear?"

His gaze pierced Judy and demanded an answer from the young doe. Here on the training ground, however there could be only one answer for her and everyone else. All cadets and even Judy, who was standing in the ranks of the cadets to apply for the special ZBI training, answered with a simple but yet loud, "Yes Sir."

Jack walked on but he felt that the purple eyes of Judy followed him and they watched closely everything he did.

'Well, at least she doesn't seem to be easily intimidated,' Jack thought and went grumpy down the line of recruits.

"Giving up will not be accepted! Leaning back will not be accepted and for almost, I will not accept . . . "

Still three cadets until Nick.

". . . Some silly, . . ."

Two cadets until Nick.

". . . joking . . ."

One cadet until Nick.

". . . prankster . . ."

Suddenly Nick.

". . . fox?"

With an open mouth, Jack stood in front of the mammal he saw almost two years ago drowning in the vortexes of the Midnight Caverns. On that day, he lost two of the most important mammals in his life. Back then, he thought he could just go on with his life and work but he couldn't. Thousands of questions and other things went through his mind now but he was too paralyzed to ask any of them. Nick's grin was wide and of course the fox was, instead of Jack, prepared for this meeting.

"Hi Jack . . . Long time not seen and Oh speaking of stupid jokes from foxes . . . What do you call a surprised hare?"

Jack mouth was open and he still paralyzed by the newest events. His mind was racing to work out what happened here but he couldn't. He felt as if he stood in front of a ghost but this ghost looked alive and very healthy, maybe even healthier than he saw him the last time.

'This couldn't even be possible, I saw him drown, or not? What happened back then? How could he . . . ?'

"Jack . . . I'm waiting. You know how this game works, right? I mean we played it before," Nick said with a grin and tilted his head slightly to the right side but the hare remained silent. More and more heads from the waiting recruits turned to the Agent and the fox. Curious, that the fox even knew Special Agents from the ZBI.

"Okay, I see you can't guess it . . . He is . . . wait for it . . . hareplexed!"

And awkward silence now lay over the training ground and no one dared even to breath too loud.

"You get it? Because . . . ahh I explain it later to you." Nick stopped as he saw the gaze of the hare and decided to not overdue his luck with him today.

The muffled sigh of Judy, Stella, Elliot and Nathan waved over to the fox and the hare, followed by the slap of four paws against some foreheads, none of them could believe that Nick made such a bad joke in front of a ZBI agent, even if they knew each other.

Jack however didn't seem to care or even to recognize it, without turning his gaze away from the fox; Special Agent Jack Savage gave his next order to the recruits. Time was what Jack needed now to sort his thoughts and at least a short moment with the fox.

"Everyone! 10 kilometer run, now. Agent Dawnguard will lead!" Jack shouted to the recruits.

Most mammals started slowly to move and so did Nick, turning away from the hare but he didn't get far.

"Not you Nick . . . we have to talk," Jack replied in a calm but demanding tone.

Nick stopped and turned slowly back to the hare. Jack examined his old friend from head to toe as he walked back to him. It was definitely him, no mistake possible. He was alive. The same grin, the same stupid jokes but something was different about the fox and Jack needed a moment to recognize it. His gaze, something was completely different about it. Back then, as he met him the first time in this seedy bar in the docks of Zootopia, his gaze was empty and he looked almost through you when he talked. This fox here was different; he had something in his eyes that Jack missed this morning in his own mirroring image. He looked as if he found a new reason to live.

"Oh Jack, I always loved our conversations," Nick replied and walked back with a grin. Most of the mammals had already begun with the running and had now ended the first half of a round on the running track but not Judy. Confident she stood beside her fox and waited. Jack recognized her instantly.

"Officer Hopps, I think I gave everyone the same clear order, didn't I?"

Jack glared at Judy and the young doe felt very clearly that she was not welcomed here. Jack wanted to talk to Nick and to no one else. To Jack's and Judy's surprise it was Nick who answered and Judy who started to grin after she heard the words from her fox.

"No can do, Jack. If you want to talk to me and understand what's going on here, then you also have to talk with Judy. You need to understand, we are a team . . . partners, in maybe more than one way . . . Everywhere where she goes, will I follow her. Okay? So, you can have both of us or none of us. What do you say?"

Triumphantly Judy looked at Jack and waited for a reaction from him. Jack however wasn't pleased about this or to be more precise he was confused and he hated it to be confused. It made him always feel helpless, that was not what he wanted to be and that was not what he trained for his whole life for. Again, the wheel of thoughts started to turn in his mind, faster and faster.

'How can Nick be alive . . . How is this possible? Why are they working together? Nick is nobody who works so easily with others. . . I just wanted to train some recruits, nothing more but whenever this fox is around, I know I will be drawn into some mess and my intuition tells me that this will be the biggest mess I was ever in.'

A deep sigh came from Jack and he leaned back, looking into the clear blue sky. The breath he exhaled flew a short distance but disappeared fast into thin air. He took a last look at the two and started finally with his judgment.

"Fine . . . she can come along."

"Perfect! Believe me you will not regret it. So, I would say 6:30 pm on the rooftop?"

"Whatever," Jack replied and waved off. Nick nodded to Judy. He knew better than anyone that it was better to let the hare think about all of this, than to continue the discussion at this point. Both turned around and started to run on the track.

Deep in thought, Jack put his paw over his muzzle and watched the two, how they jogged over the track, the whole time talking to each other until a white vixen and a black wolf joined their little group. After some more meters, they even reached Anderson and all ran on, in a line of five mammals. Wilde, Hopps, Conroy, Graham and Anderson? What in the hell is going on here? Something was off but he would find out that was sure.

For the first time in two years appeared a smile on the face of Special Agent Jack Savage.

'Maybe this will be more interesting than I thought.'

 **Nick**

Wrapped in a blanket, Nick was sitting cross-legged on the flat roof of the police academy. However, he was not alone up here, Judy sat in his lap and together they watched on this mild day the sunset, discussed the newest events of the day and waited for a Special Agent to appear. Nick who had his head laid on Judy's, listened with closed eyes to his surroundings, Judy however watched every bird that flew over the academy and thought about the day and especially about her first meeting with Mr. Savage. After some minutes, she made finally a decision and exclaimed it to her partner.

"I don't like him," Judy said, a slight chuckle came as a response from the fox behind her.

"You don't know him, Carrots. Give him some time. You know, he's not a bad guy. Just . . . A bit too grumpy for his own good," Nick replied.

"I can't believe that you two are really something like friends? How did it come to this?"

"Sorry, can't tell. You have to wait for Mr. Superhare to explain it," Nick replied and remained silent.

"Why? Why are you ready to tell me almost everything but not this?" Judy asked a bit annoyed and she felt that Nick tried to avoid this topic at all cost.

"It's not that I don't want . . . I just can't. Please Carrots, accept this for now. I know that you are super intelligent and curious and you have no patience for such things . . . Let's just say, it's a ZBI rule," Nick said and opened his eyes. A group of crows flew through the evening sky and towards the nearby wood; both mammals followed the direction of the group of noisy birds.

After the crows sat down in a nearby tree of the academy, Judy looked with a smile on her face up to her fox and asked cheekily, "Since when is Nicholas Wilde playing according to the rules?"

"Well, there are some which I don't question so easily."

"Really? Which ones?"

There was no smile or smirk on the face of the fox as he looked in the face of his bunny. A fact that made Judy feel a bit uneasy and his answer wouldn't make it better.

"I obey those rules for the time I have to, that leave no room for interpretation and which could lead to the death of, for me, an important mammal."

"Nick . . .what . . .?"

But Nick shook just his head and Judy accepted reluctantly his answer.

"Fine, I will leave it . . . For now. . . . Has Patty texted you yet?"

"Ehm, no? Why would she?"

"What kind of brother are you? Shouldn't you be at least a little bit interested?" Judy asked and shook her head, "Today she was in Zootopia with Grandpa, Cathy, Jimmy and Tommy. Jimmy and Tommy took a tour through the town while Patty made a complete medical examination of Grandpa and Cathy. You even told Jimmy which places of interest he should visit! After that, they were all invited to your Mum's restaurant for lunch . . . how could you forget that?" Judy asked slightly annoyed.

"I didn't . . . I just don't understand why Patty should text me right now? I mean apart from the normal reasons why she texts me. That would be in this order dirty jokes, pictures of cute animals, pictures of cute kids . . . I'll tell you sooner or later she'll talk Stella into adoption, anyhow . . . furthermore what happened at the restaurant and most recently, pictures of Stella sleeping. But please don't ask me why she's doing this. . . I have no idea. So Carrots, why should my sister text me today?"

A smile appeared on Judy's face as she heard Nick explanation.

"She wanted to pay us a short visit today . . . and of course to see her precious Snowflake."

"Of course," Nick replied with a smirk and wrapped his arms around the bunny in front of him.

"Any news or rumors about Trevor?" Judy asked and both felt how the tone of the conversation got heavier. Judy leaned back onto the chest of Nick, listening to his slow and steady heartbeat, a sound that relaxed her a bit. Impatient she waited for bad news that wouldn't come.

"Nothing . . . Like I told you before. As soon as we entered our room, yesterday afternoon, Trevor had already taken his stuff and left. No rumors about you or me . . . or US," Nick said and scratched himself at the chin.

"Mmh . . . What is he waiting for? Dos he wait for us to work together at the precinct one?"

"Maybe he will do nothing at all but my guess would be the same as yours. He waits for the heaviest impact. Right now they can still separate us and talk it down but as soon as we work together on the streets, we have a reputation to lose, Carrots."

Of course, he noticed that Judy had clenched her fists; in fact, her complete upper body was shaking from the tension of her muscles.

" . . . This dumb and sneaky hare!" Judy said in an angry tone, as Nick confirmed her thoughts about Trevor. Nick couldn't let her stay like this. As a reaction, Nick stroked with his paw carefully over Judy's head, it was something the young doe loved. Eagerly, she stretched her head after his paw and Nick rewarded her with a kiss directly on the head, followed by some more strokes through her grey fur and down her long ears.

"Miss Hopps! What for ugly words come from your beautiful mouth? Aren't they a waste for your precious bunny lips," Nick said with a smile.

Judy stretched her head a bit back and looked up to her fox.

"Oh? So, what wouldn't be a waste for my lips Mr. Wilde?"

A smirk appeared on Nick's face and his right paw went from Judy's breastbone slowly up over her throat and to her cheek. Where he held her and gave her a kiss on the lips.

The young doe eagerly responded to the kiss. Judy's left paw went up to Nick's head, where she grabbed him softly by his red fur and didn't let go of him. Time went by and Judy slowly lost control over senses and her surroundings. As she parted from Nick and opened her eyes, she waited to see him looking down to her but he was staring right in front of them.

Some meters in front of them, Jack leaned with his back against the railing of the rooftop and watched them emotionless. Clothed in the same ZBI trainings outfit plus a jacket, he looked at the couple in front of him. Judy jumped from Nick's lap in shock about the sudden visitor and stood some steps in front of him. Not knowing what she should do with her arms, Judy crossed them in front of her chest and looked annoyed to the black striped hare.

A blush spread her face and inner ears but she tried to not show too much of it and stroked her ears back.

"I thought of the different possibilities for what's going on here and even this crossed my mind but honestly Nick . . . I thought you learned from me," Jack said in a cold tone and searched for a cigarette in the package. He took the first that came to his paw and lit it.

"I told you long ago, that I will do whatever I want . . . Moreover, the only thing I learned from you in the past is that you are just brave when someone with a gun is standing in front of you. But you are a terrible coward when a female closes her eyes and makes her lips ready for a kiss . . . right Jack," Nick said and grinned at the hare, Jack just stared back at him in utter disbelief of what he just said but Nick hasn't finished and started again to tease Jack.

"Kissing right . . . Since we're on the subject, Jack. Where the hell is Skye? And don't tell me Agent Dawnguard, this robot of a mammal is your new partner."

The face of the Special Agent looked suddenly sad and full of grief. The anger he showed towards Nick and Judy had disappeared and all that was left, was sadness.

"Gone," was the only thing Jack replied before he turned around and looked over the railing and into the dark woods. Judy stood beside the two and understood slowly, that both really shared a past and based on how it looked it was even an eventful one. Nick didn't want to accept this short reply as a real answer, he felt that something wasn't right.

"What gone? Gone for a walk? Gone for a secret mission, come on Jack; don't let me beg you to explain what that means." Nick asked

"Gone like, in she left the agency and will not return," Jack said. To Judy's surprise Nick stood up and walked towards Jack with an angry expression on his face that Judy didn't know from him. It surprised her to a certain extent, where she wanted to say something but didn't know what and remained silent, watching the drama in front of her and trying to understand it as well as she could.

"You stupid hare! How could you mess up such a perfect date! That's like running the marathon and a meter from the finishing line you stop and go home! AHHHH!" Nick growled loudly, waved with his arms through the air until he finally tucked his paws behind his head.

The group of crows from earlier was startled by Nick's noisy outbreak and flew away, over the trainings track and back into the dark wood near the academy. Jack however, turned with half closed eyes to his old friend, the cigarette like this morning between two fingers of his paw and the glowing end already dangerously close to his fur.

"How can you know about the date . . . ?" Jack asked cold and looked with suspicion at Nick. With rolling eyes and his typical smug grin answered Nick his old friend.

"Oh come on, Jack. Was your mind so clouded by her that day? I mean okay . . . she looked stunning in her outfit . . . But that's not the point here . . . Okay, let's ask the important questions, for example, who was the cab driver, who brought you two lovebirds to the restaurant? And who was the handsome waiter who gave you the advices with the dishes? And then the talented homeless guy with the guitar, who played on the Pier this lovely song, which was just perfect for a couple, walking paw in paw into the sunset?" Nick said in a lovely but also overacted voice, which turned now again loud and almost screamed at the hare." And what's even more important, what the hell happened after that moment? How could destroy such a beautiful day?" Nick said and stood now directly in front of Jack, holding one of his paws up to Jack, his index finger on Jack's chest to corner him on the railing.

Jack had long forgotten the burning cigarette in his paw, a fact that he paid with another scar on his paw, "Auuh . . . Dammit! Not again," Jack cursed and shook the burning cigarette away from his fur but too late, the pain was there and would stay for a while. Rubbing his paw Jack continued the conversation.

"That was you? . . . But the waiter in the restaurant, spoke most of the time french if I remember correctly. None of our data stated that you have this skill, how did you . . . ?"

"Oh, excusez M. Savage de ne pas tout savoir sur ma vie et surtout sur mes capacité c'est bon à savoir que vous avez recueilli des informations sur moi.(Oh, please excuse Mr. Savage for not knowing everything about my life and especially my abilities. But good to know, that you collected information about me.)" Nick said with a deep grin. Judy and Jack exchanged a short gaze of disbelief and with widened eyes, Judy turned to her fox.

"Nick you speak French? How and . . . why?" Judy asked astonished and with slightly open mouth. Nick's grin died instantly as he remembered the reason for this skill and decided that this wasn't the right time and place to tell this story.

"First, I learned it of course and please Carrots, right now we are talking about Jack not me."

What Nick didn't want to tell was that this story involved one million dollar in cash, a rich camel who worked as a merchant and came from far away, a bet between the two and a French-speaking vixen, who was not what she seemed to be. Nick smiled as innocent as he could to his bunny but Judy glared just for a short moment at him and turned back to Jack. With a questioning glare, Nick looked down at Jack and again asked his questions.

"Jack what happened and where is Skye? She owes me at least five favours for this day." Nick joked.

The whole conversation hit Jack unprepared, for a while he just followed what Nick gave him but his typical self-confidence was coming back and now HE wanted to ask some questions. With his right paw, Jack slapped Nick's paw away and pointed with his index finger up to the fox.

"What happened on that Pier is something between me and her . . . And no one else. Second . . . and now is your turn Nick, how can you still be alive, I saw you drowning in the vortexes of the Canal Districts." Jack said.

With arms spread Nick walked some steps backwards and pointed finally at himself.

"This fox can swim Jack. Believe it or not and if not, ask Judy, I think she can back up my story." Nick said with a grin on his muzzle, a quick look at Judy showed him, that she could just barely understand what was going on here.

'Poor bunny, your mind must be going crazy right now,' Nick thought and shifted his attention back to Jack in front of him.

"You were gone, I searched you for 3 days straight but I couldn't find you anywhere! Where were you? What did you do?" Jack asked, slowly more and more annoyed about Nick's defensive behavior.

"What do you think I did? I hide myself until the dust had settled. If you remember, his whole gang was after the two of us, so what should I do? Go to the ZBI? You know that was not possible, I was an 'Assisting Agent' under your command and last but not least, YOU contacted me every time. I never had your number and after this last adventure I was done with gangsters who wanted to kill me . . . Well until another long eared mammal came along and dragged into another mess." Nick said. Both males, Jack and Nick stood in front of each other with crossed arms on their chests and both were slowly more and more annoyed about each other.

"You could have tried to contact me; I know you would have found a way!" Jack shouted at the fox and for the first time Nick was even no longer able to keep calm.

"Oh yes? To go on the next suicide mission with you? Forget it, I was tired of this and I had told you that way before." Nick replied in a harsh tone. Again, Judy's head switched between the two and tried to figure out what they have done in the past. Her paws were even slowly trembling from the anger of not knowing and even more, no one explaining it to her.

"As if you never had your benefit from the missions!" Jack shouted and stood now on his toe tips, to be in eye level with Nick.

"Talking about benefit, you still owe me something for the last mission!" Nick replied with a grin.

"Oh yes and what . . . " Jack began to ask but was heavy interrupted by Judy

"ENOUGH ALREADY!"

Judy's voice echoed over the nearby lands and made the heads of Nick and Jack turned abruptly to the angry doe, who just glared alternating at the two males. Nick knew that he better should stay quiet for a while.

"Can either of you two explain what's going on here? You talk to each other like an old married couple and I want to know what Nick has to do with you Mr. Savage! What has an ex Con-mammal to do with an active ZBI Agent?" Judy asked and thumped with her right foot on the ground.

A deep sigh escaped Jack, as he took a short look at Nick, who still smiled at him.

'I feel a little sorry for you Jack but right now you will be the one who will be taken apart.' Nick thought and failed in suppressing a little chuckle.

"So, you know about his past . . . Normally, I wouldn't do that but you two seem to have a deeper *cough* connection and something tells me that there are still some surprises, which are waiting for me. Go on and ask your questions Miss Hopps."

"What had you to do with Nicholas Wilde?" Judy asked and stared now just at Jack, as if she had a criminal suspect in front of her.

The hare leaned back at the railing and gathered the correct information in his head to answer the question truthfully and complete. He was not in the mood to play games.

"Five years ago, I searched for a mammal that was willing to help us infiltrate the underground of Zootopia but how you can assume – no one wanted to work with me. Except for one mammal." Jack said and Judy took a quick glance at her fox, who was already wearing his mask with the smug grin.

"Nick worked for you as an informer, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And that was all? Nothing more?" Judy and Jack stared directly at each other and Nick realized that those two wouldn't become friends so fast.

"He was also part of the field missions . . . ," Jack started but was interrupted by Judy," . . . Which is highly forbidden for ZBI agents, to involve any kind of civilians into any cases or missions."

"I like results and tried to keep the risk for Nick as small as possible . . . ," Jack said with an emotionless face.

"Didn't worked so good, don't you think Jack?" Nick threw in from the side, to which Jack just replied with a dark glare at the fox.

"Tse . . . thanks Nick. Bye the way, now where I know your connection, didn't the _hero_ of Zootopia also used the help of the same fox?"

"ZPD rule 127 paragraph 6, It is suitable for a police officer to take the help of civilians, if the case demands it. Don't worry Special Agent Savage, I know my rules but what interests me, why couldn't Nick talk about this part of his past? He called it a ZBI rule. Which rule should that be? I have read the complete ZBI Guidelines but there was no such rule. What makes sense, because you are not allowed to work with civilians or other outsiders." Judy recited and smiled slightly at Jack.

"You are right; those rules don't exist . . . officially. However, agents and higher ZBI members have . . . unofficial rules that allow us to work with anybody, even criminals, as long as they do not appear in the reports. And if they talk, we are allowed to take . . . counter-measures by any kind." Jack explained cold.

"Any kind, which means . . . ," Judy replied meekly and looked to the ground.

"Yes, this includes even the liquidation of certain ."

"Liquidation . . . you mean murder." Judy said and glared with anger at the hare.

"Believe me Miss Hopps those interventions . . . they are for the sake of the whole city." Jack said.

"I have the feeling it's more for the sake of your own reputation or the ZBI's than for the city."

"Think whatever you want to think, _hero_."

The sun had already sunk halfway into the horizon when Judy leaned on her elbows against the railing. She watched the sun slowly set and Jack looked questioningly at Nick. Nevertheless, the fox was silent and just watched what his partner did and tried to understand what she was thinking right now.

The light was slowly repressed and darkness fell upon the land around the academy. For Judy it was a starting signal on which she turned resolutely around and walked slowly towards her fox, leaving Jack alone on the railing. Jack gaze switched now from the silent Nick to Judy; and how she finally stood in front of the fox. Her head looked up to him as she began to speak.

"We will not work together with him or the ZBI."

"You're sure, Carrots?" Nick asked carefully.

"Yes, I am." Judy replied with a soft smile.

"Why should I work together with you? Could you please explain this to me, Miss Hopps?" Jack asked and Judy heard clearly the contempt in his voice. The doe didn't turn around, loud and clearly, she explained her case without turning to him.

"Nick and I wanted to talk to you because we had a proposition to make, a proposition for a cooperation to free this town from 'the company' but I will not work together with mammals that use the same methods as our enemies. I have no problems to bend the laws or even to break some of them but . . . I will not work together with a bunch of mammals who think they help the town by murdering innocent mammals!" Judy said and turned around to Jack, her arms crossed in front of did this because of the cold and partly to show resistance. Her face was stern and immovable.

" . . . The company? How do you . . . tse, of course, Void . . . he told you, like he told me years ago about the 'true owner' of this city, or so he called it to me. Void is one of the few, who can risk giving you a glance behind the curtain without fearing any consequences. So, what did the red panda tell you two? And even more important, what did he give you."

After a short break of thinking, what she should reveal to Jack, Judy decided to tell him everything they knew until now from Void. It was just minimal information and the value of it was mostly unimportant.

"He told us the code names of the seven leaders, as well as the real name of one of them. Furthermore, we received two black wildcards. That's it."

'Sly bunny, just tell him about us and keep Stella's Wildcard in the dark. He doesn't have to know everything.' Nick thought and began again to grin.

Jack eyes went wide about this information and Nick knew as soon as Jack was triggered, he would try to tackle this case as fast as he could.

"That's it? That's it! This is more than anybody ever had against them! You . . . You have all this knowledge about them but didn't do anything?! We could found a team and, and find them through their code names, somewhere must be traces of them. Or the one with the real name, we could focus on him and . . . ," Jack was completely hyped. This was a state, which Nick knew very well from him and another long eared mammal.

'Maybe those two aren't so different after all . . . ,' Nick thought.

" . . . I see there a chance for us." Jack said and took finally a look at Nick and Judy. All he saw was a grinning fox and stern looking bunny.

"Us? There is no us Jack, there is just a you and a we. No us." Judy replied calmly.

"Are you really too stubborn, that you refuse a collaboration with the ZBI because of our methods? Or are you just afraid to cross a line you set for yourself to protect this city? Sometimes we have to play dirty and things that have to be done must be done! Everything else would be nothing more than a half-assed attempt to justify your own weakness!" Jack almost shouted over to Judy, who was more than ready to shout back.

"Maybe . . . Maybe I am stubborn! However, I refuse to be like them and you! I refuse to act as they would act in those situations! I want to change something in this town and I don't change anything if I become like them, the only thing I do, would be to replace one injustice for another, one evil for a new one. I want to make a difference." Judy exclaimed loudly and stomped with her right foot on the ground, to enforce her point. Nick could clearly see the determination in her eyes.

A loud and sarcastic laughter came from the hare before he answered Judy, "You want to make a difference? Then take those Wildcards and get rid of two of their leaders and the difference between you and them will be, that you are still alive!"

"We will also not use the Wildcards until we have no other choice, they are our last resort and I am not willing to use the tools of a crime organization mindlessly."

The buzzing of a phone could be heard but it was not Nick's and so he assumed it had to be Judy's phone. But she was right now to occupied with the discussion and not able to concentrate on anything else.

Jack walked with a shaking head to Judy and Nick. He stopped just half meter in front of them and looked with a tired face to Judy.

"I have to apologize Miss Hopps, you are not stubborn . . . What you are, is way worse, you are idealistic. You really think you can change this town but you can't, no one can. The only thing you can do is to uphold the balance and give the company not too much space . . . ," Jack said and started again to shake his head, "I can't . . I simply can't understand how somebody they call the hero of the city can be this stupid. This is no game! You can die out there and you two are alone and on your own but you refuse to take my help? Fine . . . Your funeral not mine." Jack said, turned around and lit a new cigarette.

"We are not alone!" Judy shouted back at Jack.

"Oh I'm sorry, I forgot you have the cyber terrorist, the orphan and the stranger from the north, in your group. I'm sure with them you'll bring the company down in no time . . . " Jack said with a mean chuckle.

Another buzzing sound brought Judy back into reality; still glaring at Jack, she drew her phone and read the message. It was from Elliot and it was urgent.

"Like I said, we will not work together with you and now I have to deal with some urgent problems, please excuse me Mr. Savage."

Jack was still with his back to Judy. He raised his right paw and waved slowly.

"What's going on Carrots?"

"Code White, I have to go." Judy said in short and smiled excusably at Nick. After some meters, she started to run towards the door. Until she reached it and disappeared into the building, Nick followed her with his gaze.

He was now finally alone with Jack, who already leaned over the railing and stared into the night, while he smoked another cigarette.

With a deep sigh, Nick walked back to the hare. His quick fingers snatched the glowing stick out of Jack's mouth and flipped it into the darkness of the night. Nick saw how Jack grimaced as the little stick disappeared into the abyss of the night.

"You know Skye didn't like it when you smoked, right?" Nick asked.

"She is not here, so who cares?" Jack replied grumpy.

"I care buddy and honestly, you don't look good. To be exactly, you look like too much work, too little sleep and one or to cigarettes too much a day." Nick said and flipped the next cigarette into the night, which Jack had just put onto his lips and wanted to ignite.

"Yeah? Well, my problem not yours . . . And stop throwing my cigarettes away, dammit!"

"Fine . . . ," Nick resigned and both mammals remained calm for a while. Together they stared into the darkness in front of them but for Nick everything was more or less visible. The trees, the running track and of course Trevor who was still running some extra laps. Nick didn't know where Trevor was sleeping now and to be honest, he didn't want to know either.

"Why, you two have to be such goddamn stubborn bunnies, mmh Jack?" Nick asked and looked at his old friend.

"First I'm a Hare . . . ," Jack said but Nick interrupted him, "Same differences, believe me."

"And second, I'm not stubborn . . . she is."

"But, you also know that she is right. If you want to make a difference, you have to act different. . . Anyhow . . ."With a deep sigh, Nick pushed himself from the railing and started to walk towards the door. A bit disappointed he shouted to Jack.

"You know what? Let us talk when the Kindergarten is over, okay?"

Jack didn't answer, he just sighed and again took the package with the cigarettes in his paws but this time, he didn't open it. He just stared at it. He turned it repeatedly in his paws until they made no more sense to him, like a word that you spoke too often. Why did he bought them in the first place, to calm his mind? No, the more he thought about it the more he realized, that it wasn't the nicotine or the ritual of igniting the little piece of tabacco that brought him calm. When he needed to calm down, he remembered this one poem from the book she once gave him.

"Are you coming?" Nick shouted from the door. Jack had assumed he would just leave but the fox was still waiting for him.

"One second!" Jack replied.

Maybe he didn't need this anymore; maybe he didn't even need this in the first place. He clenched his paw with the package in it and let it fall from the roof.

'Time to see the rest of their crew and to know what a Code White meant.' Jack thought and walked to the door. In his mind, were still the words of Judy.

'I want to make a difference'

 **Stella**

Finally, after the fourth bowl of vanilla pudding, Stella and Elliot satisfied walked up the stairs and in the direction of their dorm. Most of the other cadets declined their desserts and so they both took the opportunity to eat a little bit more of their favorite pudding. Nathan already went showering after he gave his bowl to Stella. Judy and Nick on the other paw had a meeting with the new ZBI trainer Mr. Savage, which seemed to be an old friend of Nick.

With his talent for distraction, Elliot helped Stella to smuggle a bowl and a spoon out of the dining hall. Joking both walked up the stairway.

"I told ya, leave it to me and you have another bowl for . . . I don't know the night maybe? Well, whenever you get hungry." Elliot said with a grin.

"Could happen anytime after such a long day of running." Stella replied and took a quick look at the dessert in Elliot's paws.

'Maybe Patty wants later a little bit of the dessert?' Stella thought and felt how a good feeling inside of her chest was rising.

"You think about giving this sweet treat to her, right? Fine with me." Elliot replied with a grin.

"What? Why would you think that?" Stella replied and chuckled slightly about the beaver and his ability to read your mind in certain situations. After some seconds of thinking, Stella also remembered other moments, where he acted like a jerk but on the other paw, who hadn't these moments.

Apart from his infrequent emotional dropouts, Stella liked the little nerd. He was the guy who always knew the latest news and could explain almost every context. Nevertheless, apart from that, Stella knew she could trust him, just like everyone else in her small group and that was what mattered most.

Both had left the stairway and walked down the corridor to their room but neither of them recognized the group of three behind them. Here and there stood mammals on the floor talking to each other about their vacations and how they started the new year. The atmosphere here was carefree, which was no wonder now where half of the academy was over and most of the mammals got used to the academy and the training.

"You have that smile on your face, you know? That smile, that you only show when Patty is around . . . No, not just then. Sometimes when you are in deep thoughts, you also smile like this. That's when you think about, her. Mmh, mmh, am I right?" Elliot asked teasingly and poked his elbow provokingly in Stella's side.

"Well maybe . . . am I so easy to read?" Stella replied and scratched her neck until the giggling of three red vixens, pulled her out of her thoughts. They were the owners of that sarcastic laughter and Stella already prepared for the worst. Since she had Patty by her side, she became better in controlling her emotions but there were still some moments where she had almost lost her control.

"Hey Stella, we heard there is a strange rumor about you and Patricia Wilde . . . Somebody said you two shared more than just a day in the city, is that true?" Leila the leader of the three Darlia siblings shouted with a cooing behind her.

"Please stay calm, Stella." Elliot said in a low voice. He heard how the vixen came closer to them and both of them knew that Stella would be the target of their mockery.

"I'll try my best." Stella answered in an equally low voice.

With a nasty grin on her face, Leila walked directly behind Stella. Her siblings followed her like a shadow and waited for their part.

"The rumor goes around, that you maybe also shared a bed with her . . . You know such things are not welcome by a lot of mammals in Zootopia." Leila said and waited for a reaction.

"Uuugghh, I never thought you were such a girl, Stella. Disgusting." The second sister replied and smiled about her own sentence. Mona however, the third one in the group didn't answered and looked very uncomfortable to the ground.

"I know Sis, but what do you expect from a stranger and then even one from the north, no etiquette, no style and probably no future." Leila added but there was still no reaction from Stella. A fact that made the leading vixen slowly mad.

"Don't you think it would be better to return to where you belong?" Leila asked. Stella and Elliot finally stood in front of dorm door without turning around Stella started to speak.

"You can call me names as much as you want Leila, I couldn't care less. I have a thick fur, you know? And just for your information, we are happy together . . . Patricia and I."

A dark smile flashed for a short moment over Leila's face and with that, a new thought formed in Leila's mind. Just as Stella had her paw on the door handle, Leila started all over again but this time with a new target for her mockery.

"Ahhh, Patricia Wilde, the poor little vixen. Always alone by herself, always treated like a dropout and you know what? She deserved it to be alone. All she ever did was getting on the nerves of others with her smile and her pretended good mood . . ." Leila said with a grin and stepped back. Stella however already had her right paw clenched to a fist and was more than ready to deal a heavy blow but as she turned around Elliot was already with his arms around her waist to hold her back. For a beaver who worked with computers it was heavy work to hold back an angry, trained and abnormally strong arctic vixen.

"Stella no!" Elliot shouted at Stella and tried his best to keep her away from Leila. The red vixen didn't even think about quitting her action.

"What do you know about her. . . " Stella shouted full of anger to the red vixen.

"Oh, I know Patricia Wilde, we went to the same Kindergarten, schools . . . you get the idea. She was always the strange little girl walking through the world with this pretended smile of hers, I am so sick of it." Leila said with a grin. Her sisters behind her were no longer so brave, especially not after; they heard a deep growl coming from Stella.

"What's wrong with you? Take your crazy sister and get lost! What do you think, how long I can hold her back?" Elliot screamed at the two remaining sisters but they were too shocked to move their limbs.

"Let go of me Elliot! And you! One more word . . . ," Stella started but was interrupted from Leila,"Or what, you wanna punch me? Do it and maybe you'll get kicked out of the academy?"

If Stella would have still been in a clear state of mind, she maybe had given up but after she heard those words about Patty, there was no turning back for her now, she could take almost every insult or abuse to herself but as soon as Patty was dragged into this, it was over for her.

Some mammals watched what was going on in front of the dorm of the mid-sized mammals but by now, no one interfered.

"You know what's the worst about Patricia? This stupid smile of hers and this pretended good mood. Baah, almost makes me puke. But, you know what? One day she will get what she deserves . . . This arrogant harlot." Leila said and for a short moment, silence fell upon the whole floor. Stella was even too shocked to answer but not Elliot.

"Woooh, that's not what you said right now? You know what Leila? You deserve it to be punched in the face . . . get her Stella, I'll get the boss." Elliot said and stopped holding the angry vixen back.

Shock was all, that remained in Leila's face as she realized that she overdid it with her luck.

The punch from Stella came fast and hard. The blow hit directly under her left eye, where immediately blood began to flow over her cheek and onto her shirt. The force was even enough to push Leila back and onto the floor, where she laid and held the left side of her face with her paws.

Her siblings took multiple steps back and Mona started even to run towards the rooms of the trainer. Sobbing and moaning about the pain Leila laid on her back, waiting for someone to help her get up. Help wouldn't come so fast and Stella was still angry. With both paws, Stella grabbed the red vixen by her collar, raised her up on eye-level and pushed her while she still held her against the wall. A huffing sound escaped Leila as she looked at Stella, her shock was now slowly gone and without that started the tears to fall.

"P-please . . . Don't hurt me." Leila stammered while she tried to control her trembling lips. The blood from her cheek was still flowing and it wouldn't stop so soon but by now it landed drop for drop on Stella's right arm and turned slowly her pure white fur blood red.

"Say it one more time, I dare you . . . I double dare you calling her this even one more time and I can promise for nothing!" Stella pressed the words through her clenched teeth. After she ended her sentence, a deep growl escaped her throat, one that made Leila tremble even more.

Just from the angle of her eyes, Stella saw that somebody was walking over to them. The person didn't stop and had no fear getting between them. By now was the formerly so sarcastic voice from Leila was nothing more than a meek squealing sound.

"P-p-please . . . " Leila begged but Stella had no intention of stopping, she was still angry .

"At first, you will apologize for what . . . " Stella said and that was all she could say before a red paw with yellow claw polish enclosed hard around her right forearm. Her anger slowly dissolved as soon as she realized who was standing there and held her arm. A small red vixen stood beside her, wrapped in a thick brown and black checkered winter dress and she didn't looked very amused.

"Let her down." Patty demanded.

"Patty, I . . . " Stella tried to reply but was instantly interrupted by her girlfriend.

"Let her down! Now!" Patty said with even more resolution in her voice. And Stella did as she was commanded to. Slow and very carefully, Stella let, Leila to the ground where she sank into a trembling and whining pile of red fur.

Stella was well aware of what she did wrong and tried to apologize to her vixen. However, what she saw in Patty's eyes was not anger, it was disappointment and right now an apology was the last thing Patty wanted to hear from Stella.

The gathered crowd was now looking at the three vixens at the scene but there was still no trainer or higher up around, who could handle the whole thing.

"Patty, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done . . . " Stella said but was again interrupted by her better half but this time was different than any arguments before. This time Patty spanked Stella's snout with her right paw.. Not hard but the message was clear.

The hit itself wasn't what hurt Stella so bad, it was the sudden pain in her chest, which reminded her of the day her mother died.

"Patty. . . ?"

"Not now, . . . Leila please stand up, you need medical treatment." Patty said soothingly to the trembling Leila down at her feet and stretched out a paw to help her up. Half a minute and Patty walked with the trembling vixen in her arm to the nearby crowd, where she stood herself in front of a tiger who was at least two and a half time her size.

"Hey stripes, what's your name and where is the medical ward?" Patty asked with a slight smile the confused looking tiger.

"Ehm, Frank is my name and the medical ward is downstairs . . . " The tiger replied but Patty directly took control over the situation, "Good, if you know it, then lead me there, Franky."

"She was the one who insulted you! Why . . . why are you doing this?" Stella shouted, full of confusion through the whole floor over to Patty.

"I don't care who she is! Right now, she is a suffering mammal in need of help and I'm willing to give her that help. So, I will clean up the mess you made with her and . . . please clean yourself, you are full of blood and you're not a pretty sight right now." Patty shouted back and left with Frank and Leila.

Stella, who slowly understood that Patty came at the worst possible time to visit her, didn't know what to do. How should she talk to Patty about this? What should she do now and what would the others say?

A quick look at her bloody arm showed her that Patty was right, she should wash it. From the fingers up to the elbow was now her complete fur blood red.

"Hey, Stella I informed the boss . . . where is Leila? And why is your arm drenched in blood?" Elliot asked as he returned from his room, confused over the new situation.

"Patty, appeared here at the worst possible time . . . she took care of everything. Do me a favor El and tell Judy, that I'm in the bathrooms, washing my arm. Would you do that?"

"Oh fuck . . . Sure, will do." Elliot replied and watched how Stella turned towards the bathrooms. With a deep sigh the arctic vixen started to move.

#####

Many thanks to my editor cimofj2


	27. Future Partners

**Leila**

Carefully helped Patty the bleeding Leila over to one of the four platforms in the small Medical Ward, which was no more than an elongated room with some basic interior.

A desk, that stood on the left side with a large platform directly behind it. Subsequently, there were three more platforms, each separated by privacy screens. The complete right side of the room was equipped with glass cabinets and the corresponding medical equipment. At the end of the room was a huge window that showed the backside of the trainings field, on it a pair of huge chestnut trees which were illuminated by some spotlights in the ground. Unfortunately was the doctor, who was responsible for the health of the cadets sick himself, the old goat laid in bed with a lumbago, because of this Patty herself took the opportunity to treat Leila.

Frank, the tiger who helped Patty finding the rooms, stood still at the door and looked undecided at the two vixen, who walked slowly to the platform behind the desk. Thanks to Patty, Leila could press some tissues on her wound and slow down the bleeding.

"I would go now, if you have nothing against it Miss . . . Ehmm, Dr. Wilde?" Frank asked unsure how he should address Patty.

"Pfft . . . Keep the Miss or Doctor for yourself, Frank and just call me Patty, okay?" The young vixen replied with a smile to the tiger. Frank whoever relaxed visibly from the answer Patty gave him.

"Okay, Patty. Is there anything you need? Should I . . . maybe talk to Stella, I know her quiet good from the training and . . . She is a good vixen, please don't think too bad of her. Well . . . I know that you are friends and somebody had spread some rumors about you both and she got angry about the things those mammals said about you." Frank explained and looked reproachful to Leila, who saw it and knew that he meant her. Her eyes tried to avoid his and fled before his gaze to the ground and remained there, unable to face him.

"That . . . was no rumor Frank, Stella is my girlfriend, partner, mate . . . Call it whatever you want. So, thanks Frank but I will talk to her by myself." Patty replied and walked to the first closet and started to search for the things she needed for the treatment.

At first waved surprise over Frank's face but it was fast replaced by an earnest and heartwarming smile around his muzzle.

"Well, then I'm happy for you two and I hope you will leave her in one piece . . . As good as she is, we will need her on the streets and at best together with Nathan, they were a great team in the training." Frank replied and winked over to Patty. At last he looked over to the wounded red vixen, shook his head and left the room.

By now, Patty had all the thing she needed for the stitching of the wound, hydrogen peroxide, needle for medical use, sterile thread, cotton balls, Isopropyl and some Ibuprofen for the pain. Everything she would need was neatly placed on a little metal tablet, again disinfected Patty everything with some antiseptics and washed her paws to be as free of bacteria as possible. Every move she did was carefully watched by Leila, who didn't know what would happen now and still thought about a trick from Patty.

'Will she take revenge on me for all this years? Or maybe for what I said earlier, I was pretty loud, maybe she had heard me.' Leila thought and watched how Patty came to her with the metal tablet in her paws and a smile on her face.

'It's the same stupid smile like back then, the same smile you showed everyone who looked at you . . . I don't know why but right now, it somehow soothes me. How stupid is that?' Leila thought.

Patty held both her paws open, in one laid three white pills and in the other was a glass of water. Unsure what she should do, Leila looked from Patty's paws, up to her smiling face and back to the paws.

"Painkiller . . . just in case you want some but maybe you want to play the tough girl?" Patty asked and teased her a little bit with her smile.

The seconds pass by as Leila stared at the white pills on Patty's black paw pads and how perfect they contrasted each other. A little movement of her head and she felt again she hammering pain in her left cheek, a pain that made the decision for her very easy. Her paws were still shaking from the fight earlier, carefully she took the pills and poured the glass of water down her throat.

"Okay, I will at first disinfect your wound and then stitch you together. Both will hurt but I don't think as much as the hit from before." Patty explained and waited for a response but Leila just nodded and stared at the closet in front of her.

"Oh and please say if you have to vomit soon enough, some mammals can't take the stitching so well." Patty explained and began, while she hummed to a song, with her work. No matter how much the stitching or the disinfectant hurt Leila clenched her teeths together and tried to show no signs of the pain.

It didn't even take 15 minutes for Patty to close the wound and disinfect it a last time, Patty looked with pride at the seven stitches and with a satisfied smile for all the years of mobbing from Leila a the slowly swollen left eye.

"Now look at you, as good as new! You should get some ice for the eye but my work here is done. The cut will disappear completely under your fur, so no worries about beauty contests in the future." Patty exclaimed happy and put all the medical instruments she used back on the little tablet, carefully she brought them back to the sink and started cleaning them for their next use. Leila touched the wound under her fur, everything was swollen but the stitches were made just fine. She had fixed her, no second layer or trick here. Leila knew it could mean trouble to ask this but she needed to know.

"Why did you helped me?" Leila asked and watched Patty, how she washed the instruments with a smile. Without looking up Patty replied.

"I'm a doctor and you needed help, isn't that obvious?" Patty teased her.

"That's not what I meant! We hated each other our whole life, from the earliest days until now! We never came along and now when you had the chance to let me literally bleed for this, you just helped me and even smacked your 'girlfriend' for this? What is wrong with you?"

The sound of cleaning and metal on metal vanished, a deep sigh came from Patty before she started to talk. Leila was prepared for accusations and insults but not for this. With a low but stern voice Patty spoke to Leila but looked still in the sink in front of her.

"I heard what you said to Stella about me, but I'm used to this kind of insults, just like you are used to insults about foxes. You have to come up with something worse or at least come up with something fancy, if you really want to hurt me. So what you did was nothing new . . . maybe that's why I'm more disappointed about Stella . . . ," Patty said and again exhaled deeply. With another box of Ibuprofen walked Patty over to Leila, her dress swung slightly from side to side and the big black ribbon, which sat almost directly over her tail, bounced to her movement.

With effort tried Leila to look up to Patty but her swollen eye and cheek made her more and more problems. What she saw made Leila uncomfortable, it was one of the rare times were Patty was not smiling. Stern and ernest, she stood there and waited for attention.

"We hated each other? It's funny how we generalize the past and try to make sense of it . . . But I never hated you, no . . . I always wanted to be part of your group. We four, you the Darlia siblings and me, we were the only foxes in our class and we all knew what it meant to be discriminated because of our species. But you found a way out of this circle, you blamed me for everything. Not longer were the foxes the aim of the insults and mobbing, it was the little strange vixen, which had just nonsense on her mind but just tried to be accepted." Patty explained but never turned her gaze away from Leila, who could just stare to the ground and was unable to face Patty.

"However, I don't hate you for this . . . Okay, I did in the beginning but at this time I didn't understood what happened. I was too young to understand it and maybe you didn't even understand what you did at that time but I know you did it to protect your siblings because from this day on, they left you and your sisters alone . . . but not me."

The sobbing of Leila echoed through the room and Patty saw how tears landed on the ground.

"Look what little Patty wears today, does she even know what pants are? Who knows the answer, well for sure not little Patty. Let us work in groups . . . Oh it seems like, little Patty found nobody to work with . . . Yeah, that was my daily routine and you know what I did during all this time, right?" Patty explained. Leila answered and nodded with tear filled eyes.

"Y-You just smiled." Leila replied under tears. Tears she shed for the things she started to realize.

"Believe me, it was not always easy but do you know how I did this?" Patty replied but received just a no, in form of a shaking head, as an answer.

"My Mom, taught me and my brother something, a sentence, which is by now like cut into stone and which will be burned forever into his and my memories . . ." Patty said and waited until Leila looked with her one good eye at least to her, the left one was by now already complete swollen and would stay like this for a couple of days.

"Never let them see that they get to you." Patty said and made a little break.

"That's what she taught us and that's what we did since then. So we hide what we felt, Nick with his smirk and I with my smile. We held this mask no matter what happened but despite all of that mobbing and teasing, I always believed and always will believe in the good of most mammals.

. . . And of course, I knew someday the right mammal for me would come along, the one who would accept me for who I am and what should I say . . . She came along." Patty said and started again to smile like she normally did.

For the first time, Leila saw more in the vixen in front of her, than just the crazy mammal, that tried to be funny at every possible opportunity and who took nothing serious. Besides every hindrances, Patty made her way and that despite the fact that she always was alone in school and a fox.

'Admit it Leila, you sacrificed her for your own good and you've been telling yourself that this was alright . . . but it wasn't.' Leila thought and looked finally up to Patty.

"I . . . I'm sorry. C-can you ever. . ." Leila wanted to apologize but Patty pet Leila on the head like a mother would do with her kit.

"Don't worry, life is too short to not forgive each other if you ask me but keep in mind, I will always keep it as a memory and so should you. Now, I have to find my Snowflake and don't worry I left a note for the doctor, go whenever you feel like it." Patty said and turned to the door. Shortly before Patty pushed the door handle down, she turned her head a last time to Leila.

"Oh and stop being always so goddamn uptight. Boys don't like something like that." Patty said and winked to Leila, who blushed a little bit from the last sentence.

A long time sat Leila on the platform where she thought about all the things that were said and done. But at most she thought and felt in this moment how disappointed and ashamed she was about herself, for what she accepted this morning.

'You accepted the deal, there is no turning back now,' the voice in her head said but was interrupted by the slowly opening door, which showed her a new guest in the small Medical ward, which she already awaited.

'Just when you think about the devil.' Leila thought.

HE walked with a grin on his face straight up to her, no gaze to the left or right. HE knew they were alone in this moment. In his left paw was an envelope, which he held with two fingers of his paw.

Trevor Smith, the hare who was always the first one on the track or on any other trainings session, walked to the chair of the doctor and sat himself but looked slightly ridiculous because of his size difference. Trevor turned himself around and looked at the wounded vixen.

"You did a good job with Conroy and created quite some mayhem, let's see how it will work out . . . OH and before I forget, here." Trevor said and threw the envelope in Leila's lap, where it perfectly landed. With a teary eye looked the vixen at the envelope, she needed all her remaining strength to not start to cry again.

"What's wrong? This morning you were head over heels for this little job, I offered you? And by the way, didn't you hate them as much as I do?" Trevor said in a soothing voice and watched her carefully.

"I don't want it." Leila said and started to cry. No matter how much she tried, the times where she could hold her tears back were over. She pressed her paws against her face, despite the pain on her left side and didn't even notice that the envelope on her lap slid down and landed on the floor, the complete content spread over the white tiles; thirty-five hundred dollar bills, that were fresh und never used before, laid on the ground.

Light footed stepped Trevor down from the chair, walked the three steps and jumped with ease up and directly on the platform. However, Leila didn't even recognized that the hare was now beside her. His face was calm and emotionless.

"Who do you think you are, that you can make and break deals at will? We had an agreement, didn't we Darlia? Provoke Conroy until she snaps and maybe she gets kicked out of academy. You did your part, so take the damn money and be happy!" Trevor stated cold.

Leila just shook her head slowly from one side to the other.

"But . . . It was wrong . . . Maybe I should apologize . . . " Leila responded but was not sure what she should do from here on.

With force grabbed Trevor Leila's snout and enclosed it completely with his paw. Trevor turned her head over to him and Leila could clearly see the anger in his eyes as he spoke to her. Again, began the vixen to tremble but this time was different.

"Say one word about all of this and the little cut Conroy gave you today, will be nothing against the things I will do to you. Believe me, you don't wanna mess with us . . . So stay calm, take the money and buy something nice for you. Do you got me?" Trevor asked forceful.

Leila was terrified, her whole body was trembling, way worse than after Stella's hit. All she wanted right now, was that Trevor would go but she knew he wouldn't let off the hook so easily. Driven by fear she did the only thing she could do to calm her mind, she closed her remaining good eye and tried to shut him out.

'Please just go away, please just go. Please, I don't wanted this to happen.' was all that Leila thought in this moment and a little node was all she could do. Trevor saw it and shifted from the angry expression back to his , he patted her snout two times.

"Now, what a good girl you are . . . And remember one important thing for the future, if you talk, you AND your sisters will pay a horrible price, okay?" Trevor answered and saw how her right eye opened in terror. His grin widened even more as he saw this and Leila realized what for a deal she made this morning. Somehow, she had to get out of this. This was not good at all, she made a terrible mistake and the last thing she wanted was that her siblings have to pay for her stupid decision.

Trevor stepped down the platform and walked the to the door, the darkness on the floor swallowed him without leaving any trace. To his bad, he didn't close the door correctly, a small crack was still open and gave view to a weird scenery. Despite the terror she felt, something raised Leila's attention and she tried her best to stop the whining and concentrate on what she heard.

'Voices. The first one is definitely Trevor but to whom is he talking to? I know this other voice from somewhere but where? And . . . what are they talking?' thought Leila and slide down the platform, as quietly as it was possible. Step for step she walked towards the voices. The medical ward was still the only illuminated room down here and Leila felt as if the words which echoed through the air, would lure her to them, to show a truth she maybe wasn't able to grasp or understand.

She didn't dared to walk pass the crack and raise the suspicion of Trevor, it was already enough what he said to her and deep down, Leila knew that he meant what he had said to her. He would come to them and would hurt them. A cold shiver ran down on Leila's spine while she thought about this possibility. Long forgotten was Stella or the hit, even know when nothing of this laid longer in the past than maybe an hour. Stella just wanted to protect but Trevor . . . he wanted to have his fun with them and Leila saw it clearly in his eyes what for fun he meant. With force, pressed Leila her paws on her muzzle and tried to suppress every sound she could make. Again started the voices to sound like equal worker, even so Leila couldn't see them. Cowered together, Leila sat on the floor under a sink which was in the near of the door and tried hard to listen to the voices in the hallway.

" . . . I admit, I didn't understood why Trogon and my master accepted so fast to give you a higher rank and even a name, Finch. But now where I saw you working . . . you have my respect, at least a little." The unknown mammal said and the least Leila could tell was, that it was a female mammal, that spoke to the hare.

"Oh, what for a honor from one of the mammals, which were trained personally by the chief himself, Hummingbird. I never saw him in person, what is he for a mammal? An impressive tiger? An elegant puma? Or maybe even a gigantic boar? Hah, that would be something I could imagine . . . ." Trevor said and chuckled to the pictures he had now in mind.

The female mammal took her time before she answered his question, as if she thought about the possibility, that it could be dangerous for her to share this information.

"Nothing like this Finch, he is on the first sight not what he seems . . . and that's what makes him so dangerous." The female voice explained.

"Uhh Hummingbird, you just made me more curious. Come on, what for a species is the mammal, whom behind his back calls just 'Shinigami' or how we would call him 'God of Death' . . . " Trevor said and another shiver run down on Leila's spine, she could hear already the grin on the hare's face, she didn't know why but she could feel it. This creepy feeling, as if someone watches you undress and you don't know from where but you could feel the gaze on your body and you could almost hear their thoughts.

" . . . A red fox. That's what he is." The female mammal replied and a short moment of silence followed. For a moment Leila even thought they had discovered her.

" . . . You mean like Wilde?" Trevor replied and caused another little break.

"Yes . . . Like Nicholas Wilde and that in more than one way."

"What . . . ?" Trevor asked confused.

"You will understand as soon as you met him once and I should better shut my mouth, he doesn't like unauthorized talk." The female voice said.

The sound came sudden and very loud from Leila's pockets, a sound which made her normally more than happy because it meant new news and gossip for her but right now it filled her just with terror. In panic she pulled her phone out of her pocket and put it on silence mode but it was already too late.

"Is she still in there?" The female voice asked after a deep sigh.

"Yeah . . . Probably, eavesdropping on us but don't worry she will talk to no one." Trevor replied and Leila had again the feeling that he was grinning like a mad mammal.

"I will take care of this . . . And you Finch. I want this report about the money you needed for this operation, do you understand me?"

"Of course, Hummingbird." Trevor replied and walked slowly away. Steps echoed over the floor and Leila heard that with every step also a quiet clack of claws, hit the ground. Suddenly an idea hit her, who would this mammal was.

'No . . . That could not be, something is wrong here. Definitely wrong. She can't working with him and what is with this strange codenames?' Leila thought.

Just seconds later was Leila's assumptions confirmed, as she saw how black points on yellow fur, stepped into the medical ward and the cold gaze of Hannah Dawnguard looked down on her and how Leila sat trembling on the ground, unable to do anything but to whine and sob.

'No, no, no . . . Even member's of the ZBI? Where have I gotten myself into?' Leila looked slowly up to female leopard, until their eyes met. Calm and cold looked Agent Dawnguard down to the shaking vixen but decided after some seconds to look around the room and something struck her interest.

Leila saw how the leopard bowed down and collected the money which laid all over the floor, carefully she put it back into the envelope and handed it over to Leila. She vixen starred just at the envelope, while she drawn her legs closer to her body and hugged them tight with her arms. Slowly detached the vixen her right arm from her knee and Leila stretched her arm to the envelope, take it carefully. Both female mammals held now one side of the envelope, while they looked into each other's eyes.

Leila felt that Agent Dawnguard was not like Trevor, he was serious with what he said but the female leopard was still different, something that let the hair in Leila's neck stand up.

After another glance at the leopard, Leila knew what it was. Agent Dawnguard had already taken a life and that without any regrets. If she would receive the order to kill, she would do it and that without doubt or second thought.

"You are very lucky, that we are not allowed to do as we will, here in the Academy. Do whatever you want but don't talk, we would know it."

Leila's whole body trembled in fear and she had a hard time controlling it. Finally she was able to node Skittle bit even if it was very small but after some seconds she was finally able to take the envelope from Agent Dawnguard ,who seemed to understand. No matter what Leila did she couldn't take her eyes from the Agent. Agent Dawnguard, nodded shortly herself and left the room, just as quick as she entered it and left a broken vixen on the ground, with only one thought left in her mind.

'We have to get out of here . . . I fucked up, I just fucked everything up.'

With empty eyes looked Leila at the envelope in her paw and regretted so much what she did. Now and in the past.

 **Stella**

The arctic vixen leaned with her paws on the edge of the sink and watched herself in the mirror, to her luck were all of the female mammals already finished with showering and so she was alone to with herself. A deep sigh came from Stella before she looked at the dark right forearm, the blood was dry and had by now an almost black tone. The hot and humid air in the brown tiled bathroom with showers in all imaginable sizes, made already Stella's fur damp.

'You looked worse in the past after a fight, Stella. Bruises, Cuts or maybe a swollen eye here and there, are nothing new for you but you never feared the consequences of a brawl . . . until now. Will she leave you because of this? I hope not . . . Oh God . . . Please no. . . ' Stella thought and took a deep breath but as soon as she saw bloody arm, she drifted back into her thoughts,'It doesn't help to think about such things . . . you should shower yourself before you get your what you deserve for your stupid behavior, that's what you wanted to do anyway.' Stella thought and began to undress herself. With a hanging head stepped Stella under one of the smaller showers and turned the warm water on. Her arms hung from her body and her had leaned against the wall in front of her.

With a nearly apathetic gaze, watched Stella how the water dripped from her body and slowly turned into a stream of red liquid underneath her, which flow through her legs and towards the middle of the room, where it disappeared in the sink. Her right arm was now almost back to it's pure white and her sky blue eyes observed closely, if there was still some blood in her thick undercoat. To her luck, it wasn't. After she stood now for nearly ten minutes under the warm water, Stella heard how the door to the showers was opened and quietly closed, for her was there no question who that could be. A leader always cared for all of the members and all of their problems. At least a good leader would do this and for Stella, she was the best leader you could hope for.

"Are you okay, Stella?" Judy asked from the changing rooms.

"Despite the fact that I made a huge mistake? Messed up our work . . . and maybe but just maybe lost the most important mammal in my life, because I couldn't keep myself under control?" Stella said and sighed deeply," . . . I'm fine, Judy. Don't worry."

"No . . . you are not, Stella and don't try to talk that down." Judy replied, her voice sounded now definitely more worried than normal.

"Listen Stella, you just wanted to protect her . . ." Judy said but was interrupted by the arctic vixen, who stood naked and damp from the hot water in the doorway between the showers and the changing room. With fast movements of her body, Stella shook most of the water from herself.

Still a little bit wet and in need for a towel to clean herself completely, Stella remembered that she forgot exactly this in all the hectic and of course some new cloth she could wear as well. Pissed off by her own stupidity, Stella braced her arms into her sides and looked at the ceiling with annoyance. After biting her lips she spoke finally to Judy.

"Why am I so goddamn impulsive, Judy. Especially when it comes to Patty? . . . Damned, I was so annoyed about all of this, that I even forgot to get new cloth from our dorm or even a towel. I am so useless . . . I am so . . . I don't know." Stella stated and put her paws over her eyes.

All the mistakes she made in the past and all the things she was accused for, came back and flooded her mind. The time in school where Stella was accused to steal money from other students and no one believed her or the time after the death of her mother, where she had to learn to fight for her own and everybody avoided her because they thought she would bring bad luck to them. . .

'Why? Why do I have to remember this things right now? Why can't I just forget? And why does it still bother me?' Stella thought.

Hot tears run down her cheeks as she remembered all of this and Stella felt how her legs gave slowly in and she sunk crying to her knees. Her snout cupped by her paws, she knelt there, on the floor of the changing room and felt just miserable about her own mistake.

But if one thing wasn't true at all, than that she was alone. Carefully, laid Judy her left paw on Stella's head, an action that startled the arctic vixen at , Stella looked up in the smiling face of Judy and her soothing purple eyes, that told Stella that everything would be alright and that Judy would be there to help her, no matter which storm was right now howling.

"What are you so afraid of little white vixen? That we could go and abandon you because you made a mistake? We all make mistakes and we forgive each other. That's how it works or how do you think, I could be so happy with Nick, if I hadn't understand this?" Judy said and held a towel to Stella. Still teary but already slightly better, Stella chuckled about Judy's little joke.

"Now come, dry yourself. I have also some cloth for you…" Judy said but Stella had taken her into a tight hug

" _Thank you."_ Stella whispered into the ears of the bunny. Judy responded just with a slight smile and sat herself on the bank, which stood in the middle of the room surrounded by sinks and locker. Besides Judy laid a little pile of dark blue ZPA cloth, which Stella took and dressed herself with, after she dried herself up in silence.

Stella didn't know what to do and sat herself besides the smiling Judy. Both mammals stared at the locker but none said a word until Judy broke the silence.

"Do you want to know, what a wise fox once told me about mistakes?" Judy said and looked up to Stella.

"Sure." Stella said and looked with curiosity down to Judy. Loud cleared Judy her throat and tried as good as she can to copy Nick's voice.

"There are no heroes in this world, Carrots, something like this doesn't exist, just mammals like you and me, who try and sometimes fail. Because that is what we can do best, we try, we fail but in the end we do better . . . No, we have to do better." Judy said.

"Wow . . . I never expected such wise words from Nick." Stella said with a smile on her muzzle. Judy leaned a bit back, onto her paws and replied with an equal happy smile,"Yeah, he has his moments . . . at least from time to time."

Both mammals shared another gaze at each other and started heartily to laugh.

Loud echoed the laughter of the two females through the changing room and the floors. Stella leaned herself like Judy a bit back and supported herself through her paws, Judy however laid her right paw on Stella's left one. Stern but still happy Judy spoke.

"No matter what will happen, Patty would never leave you, Stella. She loves you . . . Even if she has sometimes her problems showing this to you." Judy said and smiled soothingly but Stella whole face darkened.

"She never told me, you know? Patty talks the whole day and has no problem to start talking about the most awkward topics and by god, I love her for this but she never said those three words to me. All she said is, wait for me, one day I'm ready . . . and I will wait, no matter how long it takes but still . . . Somehow it hurts." Stella said and exhaled deeply.

With a little jump, stood Judy up from the bank and placed herself in front of Stella. The grin on Judy's face was bigger than ever, as she began to speak.

"Like I said don't worry, she may not have told you, but she told me." Judy said.

"She . . . she did what? What did she said? Please tell me, Judy!" Stella said with wide eyes. Full of anticipation, her tail began to wag like crazy from one side to the other but Judy took her time and teased Stella a little bit more.

"I'm not sure, if I should tell you that . . . you know, secrets between girlfriends and such things." Judy said.

Nerved from the teasing, Stella grabbed the bunny by her shoulders. With huge eyes and a begging voice talked Stella to Judy.

"Judy, please . . . why did she told you but not me . . . ?" Stella said and Judy decided to stop her little game with the arctic vixen, as soon as she saw that she became teary. Still smiling, Judy took Stella's head into her paws and started to explain.

"She told me, because everytime she is around you, she becomes nervous and acts even more stupid than normal. Remember Christmas, where she was jealous of the Rose siblings because they said you were pretty? Those things happen just around you. You are her weak spot, you are the one she cares about the most, you are the one who makes her nervous. And now she waits for the perfect moment to tell you, that she loves you but every time she wanted to say it, she also did something stupid and the perfect moment was gone." Judy explained, while Stella looked flustered at Judy.

"She . . . she really loves me?" Stella asked as if she couldn't believe what for words came from the bunnies mouth.

"Of course dummy, what else should she do?" Judy said and felt that the phone in her pocket vibrated. She let finally go of Stella's face and turned together with her unlocked phone to the side and checked the message. Stella was still, too perplexed to think straight.

"We have to go." Judy said in a grave tone.

"Wha . . .What happened?" Stella snapped finally out of her daydream and remembered that the whole mess, was still not resolved.

"Major Friedkin wants to see you and that now," Judy said and put her phone back into her pocket," and Nick wrote, she was not very delighted about this all. So better be prepared for the worst. I will try my best as an Officer and instructor to help you but . . ."

"No, I snapped, I have to face the consequences." Stella said.

Both mammals nodded at each other and turned to the door. Stella was ready to receive any punishment the drill instructor and mammal who was responsible for the distribution of the new Police Officers, would give her.

 **Nathan**

"She did what?!" Nathan asked Elliot who sat at the table and typed like crazy on his laptop.

"Stella hit her . . . one time . . . on the left side of the face." Elliot tried to explain calmly while he worked on something.

"And why didn't you stopped her?" Nathan stood with crossed arms in front of the table of their dorm and waited for an answer from Elliot but he just continued typing on his laptop, until Nathan stretched out one of his paws and closed the portable computer of his friend.

"You know that I hate it, when you do this, right?" Elliot said and glared up to the black wolf with the green and blue eye, both watching carefully what Elliot was doing.

"Yes, I know that but I also know that you want to fix your mistake, by hacking something here in the Academy but you can't, okay? They would recognize that and then we would lose you and Stella. And don't say they wouldn't know, they are maybe not as good as you but they are also not stupid." Nathan stated rationale to his friend, who accepted his defeat and let his paws sink on the closed laptop.

"And now? What do we do now?" Elliot asked.

"When did Nick wrote everyone that Major Friedkin wanted to speak with Stella?" Nathan asked.

"That was about fifteen minutes ago, why?" Elliot asked confused.

"We will go to her." Nathan said and for a short moment dropped Elliot's jaw. He expected mostly a lot things but not this.

"The Boss is already with her, I don't think that we could do more for Stella than she could . . . I mean we are speaking about Judy here, not some idiot." Elliot said and Nathan knew that he was right but for him this wasn't about right or wrong or some logical problem, a friend was in need of help and he wanted to be there.

"I know, but I promised her to help whenever she needs some and I'll keep my promises to others." Nathan said and had until now just the dark blue ZPA tank top and training shorts on, grabbed the light jacket from his bed and walked to the door.

"Come on, we have to go!" Nathan said and Elliot followed very reluctant his friend. On the way to Major Friedkin's office used Elliot every opportunity to complain about the upcoming situation and that this was not a good idea. Nathan knew just too good that his whole thing wasn't well thought-out but what should he do? Give up on Stella? They promised each other, that they would be partner on the streets and they would look out for each other. And if they can't even do this in the Academy, then what should happen on the streets?

'Why do I had to go right in this moment to the showers? If I just waited till they both were in the dorm . . . Stop it, you can't always try to protect everybody around you.' Nathan thought and besides that, he knew that he did nothing wrong, but still he gave himself the most guilt for what happened between Stella and Leila. He couldn't do anything against this thoughts, that's just how he worked.

Not even five minutes later they stood in front of a huge door, which marked the entry to the office of the female polar bear. From the inside sounded already the loud and jarring voice of the drill instructor, from time to time cut off by the voice of Judy. Nathan could already imagine who Judy tried to threw herself in the first line of defense for Stella, he took a last look around, here on the floor was no more mammal, most of them were presumably up in their dorms and preparing themselves for the night.

"Now or never." Nathan said, knocked at the wooden door and pushed at the same moment the door handle down. Half-loud and from behind him stated Elliot," I would prefer never but hell, what do I know…"

All eyes in the room laid now on the new guests, that just entered. Judy to the left, stood with crossed arms on a chair and tried until now to discuss with the Major, she seemed to be in best fighting mood and definitely not beaten, that's at least what her face and posture told her surrounding. However Stella, who stood to the right of the entry looked just with a sorrowful gaze to the ground and bite her lip, a behavior that Nathan knew from her just to good, whenever she kept thinking too much and too long about something that was bothering her. The Major itself stood behind his desk but leaned with her arms on the wooden table and glared just at everyone who tried to oppose her. It took Nathan some seconds until he recognized that Agent Savage was also present to this conversation but he seemed just to listen and not be an active part of this conversation. He sat with crossed legs and arms on one of the cabinets behind the Major and watched now carefully the new guests.

For Elliot and Nathan was it the first time in this office, before them laid a quite large room, that was on both sides stuffed over and over with documents, files and other things, which were partly in the cabinets, piled up on them or they laid just on the ground or piled up on the cabinets. In the middle of the room, behind a big window was a huge desk, at least for Nathan and the others but for Major Friedkin it was just the right size. On it stood just an old laptop, some pencils and an expensive looking ship in a bottle, that had the size of Nathan's forearm. The bottle itself stood on a wooden bracket, with a little metal plate on it that stated that the name of the little ship was 'Pequod'.

"What do you want Mr. Graham and Mr. Anderson? Have you perhaps hidden Mr. Wilde somewhere, so that your whole group is complete?" The Major asked in an unfriendly tone, that indicated her mood just too good.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but we were worried about Ms. Conroy, after we heard what happened on the floor between her and Ms. Darlia." Nathan answered and looked over to Stella but she tried to avoid his gaze at all cost.

"Your worries are not completely unfounded Mr. Graham. Ms. Conroy already heard my judgement to her case and I know that this will affect your future work in the force as well! Right here, I have your wishes with whom you want to be teamed up in the future, I know that you two wanted to work together and I'm more than disappointed about this incident!" Major Friedkin almost yelled or at least that's what it felt like.

To the surprise of Major Friedkin and possible everyone else in the room, raised Elliot his voice. Everyone knew the beaver now for a while but he was no one who stepped in so easily for others but still he tried his best to help his friend with his strang methods. "Okay, I admit it . . . maybe I shouldn't have just let Stella go at Leila. Maybe, I should have held her more back. . . I don't know. Anyway, what I'm saying is. . . _sighs deeply_ . . . if you want to punish anyone then punish me. Because in the end it was me who said, come on girl...that was enough...smack that bitch up."

Immediately focused the experienced polar bear on the beaver besides Nathan and Stella, who looked bored up to her.

"So Mr. Anderson, I assume from your words, that you regret what you have done?" asked the Major and a slight smile appeared around her muzzle.

"What? No! Leila deserved what she got, so why should I regret what I had done?" Elliot replied and shrugged.

"So, no sign of regret from you?" Major Friedkin asked, the smile on her face was long forgotten.

"Ma'am with all due respect but you really should learn the difference between an explanation, a justification and an apology, because this was…, "Elliot spoke and maybe already too late reacted Judy to the words of the beaver. She knew by now all the quirks of her companions and especially his sometimes odd behavior.

" _Elliot! Zip it."_ hissed Judy over to the beaver, who instantly felt silent and left Major Friedkin with an even angrier face. She looked on the piece of paper in front of her and started to read.

"Since it seems Mr Anderson is showing no insight, we're going back to the real case . . . Conroy, Graham, Wilde, Rodriguez, Smith this four were the ones with the highest grades, the best results in most of the physical and mental tests . . . and until now with no negative misbehavior. This four were my candidates for the Precinct one, together with some other mammals . . . But! It's not acceptable for role model cadets, like you to injure other cadets…," Major Friedkin said but saw that Judy wanted to raise her voice but responded before the young doe could even answer,"... And no Miss Hopps, I don't care who started this struggle! Ms. Conroy must have herself under control at all times! Something like that is not acceptable for a Police Officer." The female polar bear said annoyed and let herself fall back on her chair.

"Ma'am, am I allowed to know what will happen from now on with me and my partner?" Nathan said and particularly emphasized the word partner, to make clear what he was thinking. Carefully folded the Major her paws and put them in front of her muzzle.

"You will work on the Precinct one and your partner there, will be Mr. Rodriguez, end of discussion." The Major said shortly and turned back to the papers in front of her.

"No." Nathan said calmly and felt again how all eyes concentrated at him.

" _Nathan, what are you doing?"_ Elliot and Judy whispered at the same time, Stella looked just with wide eyes at the black wolf. She knew what he had in mind.

"Mr. Graham, that was no question, that was an order." The Major said and glared at the black wolf in front of her.

"Then I refuse, Ma'am." Nathan said and felt how eight eyes stared at him, just Agent Savage sat still on the cabinet and smiled slightly to Nathan. Right now, Nathan asked himself what the Agent and what he would think about him and came to the conclusion, that it would be nothing good.

"You refuse? Okay . . . Mr. Graham, what do you want?" Major Friedkin said and laid the pencil down on the paper she was working on. Nathan felt how Judy, Stella and Elliot in his back slowly became nervous.

"I want to know what will happen with Stell . . . Ms. Conroy, Ma'am" Nathan asked and felt how he slowly became angry about his superior. Unconsciously, he already began to grit his teeth more violently, something he didn't know from himself.

"Ms. Conroy will work, after she finished the academy, in Precinct 4, Tundra Town. The ecosystem there should be suitable for her specie. Are you now satisfied Mr. Graham?" The Major asked rhetorically and was already back to her paperwork. A short glance at his friend showed Nathan everything he needed to know. She didn't want to go back into the cold, too many bad memories were connected to this environment. Nathan had to something . . .

"That's not fair! Stella stepped in for someone else and for the equality of mammals . . . aren't that the values we should show as Police Officers to others?" Nathan almost shouted at his superior but the Major just sat behind his desk with folded paws and waited.

"I understand that she did something wrong but this punishment is just . . . It's too harsh!" Nathan said but Major Friedkin stared just back at him. No movement, no emotions.

One meter, this was the distance between Major Friedkin and Nathan now. He didn't even recognized how he walked step for step further to the huge desk.

"Mr. Graham this is my last word. Accept it, Ms. Conroy will not graduate to the Precinct 1 and Officer Hopps, one more attempt from you defending Ms Conroy and I will rethink your role as a trainer. You are maybe the hero of the whole city but here, you are a trainer under my command, do you understand me?" Major Friedkin said loud and collected. This battle was lost, even Judy who would keep on fighting knew it, right now there was no possibility to get Stella into the Precinct One. Slowly, Judy, Elliot and Stella accepted their defeat and replied almost simultaneously and loud to her.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good, you are dismissed." The Major replied.

Shaking her head, Judy turned to Stella and Elliot. Judy understood just to good, that fighting form this point onward, would lead only to more casualties but to no victory. They had to find another way to gather everyone at the Precinct 1.

With care, Stella laid her paw on Nathan's shoulder, she felt the tense in his neck and knew that for him, this conversation wasn't over. Her smile to him was weak but it was the best she could do at the moment.

"It's okay Nathan, I accept it . . . It was my fault and now I have to face the consequences . . . even if I have to face those consequences alone." Stella said. Nathan turned his head over his shoulder and smiled warm back at his partner, with his blue eye looking at her.

"Don't worry Stella, I have a plan. Could you do me a favor and wait for me just outside?" Nathan said and turned his head back to Major Friedkin.

"I want a one-on-one conversation with you, Ma'am." Nathan said.

Curious and a little bit confused looked Major Friedkin up from her paperwork and folded again her huge white paws. "Alright, I don't know what there is still to discuss but I will give you the time to explain yourself . . . Everyone else, out!"

Hesitant, Stella pulled her paw off Nathan's shoulder but couldn't take her gaze off him, Nathan knew that she was worried about what he could do. As the last one of the three, Judy stood in the doorframe and turned a last time to the wolf before she left. Soothing she said.

"Please, don't do anything reckless, Nathan."

"Don't worry Judy, you know that's not how I am." Nathan replied.

"I know . . . I trust you, Nathan. So good luck." Judy said and closed the door behind her. A last node, that was what Judy did before the wooden door closed and he was alone with a ZBI Agent and a Drill Instructor in bad mood.

'Oh Judy, as if I ever had luck in my live and to prove this, I have just ot look in front of me.' Nathan thought and smiled.

Even if he requested a conversation just between the Major and him, Agent Savage didn't moved an inch from his place on the cabinet and even when Nathan looked directly at him, he just stared back without any signs of emotion and said.

"Don't mind me, Graham. I will tell nobody about anything."

From the chair behind the desk came a loud knacking sound, when the female polar leaned back and tried to make herself comfortable.

"Okay Graham, let's talk clear . . . No matter what you will ask or tell me, I will not change my mind. Conroy, will work at least some years in the Precinct 4, to clear her past and then . . . And only then, we can think about moving her to the Precinct 1 but just if she is one of the best in the Tundra Town Police force." Major Friedkin said and waited for a reply.

"I understand that you refuse Ms Conroy to work at the Precinct 1, Ma'am. Because of this, is my request different and for you, maybe not understandable." Nathan said.

"Now spit it out boy, what do you want?" The Major said in a sharp tone.

"I want to graduate to the Precinct 4 after I finished the academy, nothing more." Nathan said.

Silence was all that reigned for some time in the office. Stunned, Major Friedkin stared at the black wolf in front of her, apparently she could not understand what Nathan wanted from her, even if the words and the sentence formed from them were easy to understand. Calm and collected looked Nathan up to the female polar bear, waiting for a response from her.

"You understand that graduating into the Precinct 4, will be a huge setback for your carrere in the ZPD?" Major Friedkin explained.

"Yes, Ma'am." Nathan replied.

"You're aware Graham, that with your current marks, results and behavior, you could be one of the best of the Precinct 1 . . . maybe even one of the youngest Chiefs of a Precinct of all time?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Nathan replied and knew, that she was right. He wasn't stupid and also not arrogant, he knew what he was capable of becoming a high member in the ZPD . . . but that was not what he wanted, that was not what he had sworn that night on the roof of this academy to his friends.

The thought about this night filled, Nathan with pride and somehow joy, even so he knew that great dangers lay ahead of them but he was ready. He didn't know why but somehow he felt connected to all of this, as if this was what he had to do to solve who he is.

"You do this for Conroy, right?" The Major said and leaned again back in her chair.

"Yes, Ma'am." Nathan replied but he could see that the Major was still struggling with this answer.

"Let me get this straight, you would lower your own chances . . . ," The Major said and made a little break, to give Nathan time to answer.

"Yes, Ma'am." Nathan replied.

". . . to help a stranger from the North?" The Major ended.

"No, Ma'am . . . Not to help a stranger . . . a friend." Nathan replied but kept his posture, the last thing he wanted to show others right now was weakness.

"Friends . . . tse. Despite your young age Graham, I recognized your mature attitude. I guess the orphanage has made you older than you look." Major Friedkin said but didn't smiled, even so Nathan awaited this behavior but no, she kept her grave mood.

"I'll be honest with you, I awaited more from you Graham. I thought you wouldn't be inflicted by such childish things as friends and assumed you would understand, that police work isn't a walk in the park. We have to save the live of mammals and protect them. A good cop in the right position can make a huge difference but not if he just depends on his 'friends', in fact you must work together with every other Police Officer!" The Major said and waited for an answer.

"I . . . I'm sorry, that I disappointed you but I will stand to the promise I made . . . and so, I ask again. Do you let me graduate into the Precinct 4, no matter how good my results may be?" Nathan asked again but this time with way more emphasis.

The otherwise so hard and unforgivable drill instructor had closed her eyes and laid her head on the palm of her paws, thinking about the situation and what she should do with this 'ignorant' cadet, who didn't want to take advice from an older and wiser mammal.

Time passed and Nathan became slowly nervous.

"Ma'am?"

A deep sigh came from the polar bear, a clear sign of defeat, before she looked with tired eyes to Nathan.

"Fine . . . You will start your police career at the Precinct 4 and you will also be teamed up with Conroy, again..." Major Friedkin said and added just a short sentence.

". . . I just hope you know, what you are doing, Graham."

'Honestly, I have no clue if anything I do is right or wrong . . . but at least it feels like the right thing to do.' Nathan thought but didn't say any of this.

With a smile and a little salute turned Nathan around to the door and wanted to leave. Right in the moment when he wanted to push the door handle down, the wooden gate opened and three red vixen almost fall into the room. He had just enough time to take a step back and watched how Mona and Katherine Darlia stumbled to the ground. Only Leila, maybe out of breath but still on her feet could make it to the desk. Scared by something, nobody in the room could explain stood the wounded Leila in front of the huge wooden table and tried to catch her breath. Nathan could take now a good first glance at Leila and what he saw, showed him again, how good Stella was. One precise hit and Leila got a cut under her left eye and a completely swollen side. . . Nathan remembered now, why he didn't provoke the arctic vixen, when she had a bad day.

"What is going on today? Did happen something, that I didn't recognize? What do you want Ms. Darlia? Did Ms. Conroy again something to you?" Major Friedkin yelled at all the new arrived mammals.

Triggered by the words of the polar bear, stepped Stella, who still waited with Judy and Elliot besides the entry, in the open door frame and yelled back at the Major.

"I didn't do anything to her . . . ." Stella said but was pulled fast out of the doorframe by two grey paws. Half-loud echoed Judy's admonishing words into the office, which were directly followed by Stella's meekly voice.

" _Stop it Stella! What do you think would Patty say to this?"_

" _I . . . I'm sorry, I know I should keep quiet . . . but that . . . you know."_

" _Yes, I know but from now on, you keep quiet! My order or I tell it Patty!"_

" _Okay, okay. I'll behave." Stella replied to Judy._

" _Pffft, you two squabble like an old married couple."_

" _Shut up!"Judy and Stella yelled simoustanly at the beaver._

" _Geez, okay! What the hell is wrong with you two and more important, when did you two lost your sense for humor?"_

" _It's not the best time to make jokes Elliot!"_

" _Alright Boss . . . I got it. Beaver out!"_

And from one of the other moment, silence reigned for a little moment in the office.

Her paws were clasped to the edge of the table and her head was slightly above that, as Leila started to talk was her voice high and shaken.

"We want to quit! Right now . . . We . . we don't want to be part of the ZPD anymore . . . it . . . it's just too dangerous and . . . " Leila stuttered almost in pure panic, her eyes were attached to the papers on the desk, not able to look up to her superior. Like her sister, were Mona and Katherine in a similar state of fear. They no longer laid on the floor but both vixen stood close to each other and Nathan saw, that both held each other by the paw.

"Take it easy, kids. What's the matter? Did anyone scared you?" The Major said in a soothing tone to get the situation under control and the cadets to talk.

"No . . . we just . . ." Leila began again to talk, here voice was near crying but she tried to formulate those in short and incoherent sentences but went silent as soon as she heard the voice from another mammal, who stood in the door frame and looked at the persons in the office.

"I heard that there were some problems?" Dawnguard said and went over to the desk, right beside Leila. With short glances, she checked the vixen and her her state of mind.

"Ms. Darlia, is everything alright?" Agent Dawnguard asked in a friendly voice and laid her paw on Leila's shoulder. The sisters, who held each other took a step back and tried to bring as much distance between them and the female leopard as possible. Something was definitely not right, Nathan saw that Leila was not okay, trembling paws and a face as if on of her sisters had died but what was much more intense, he could smell the fear that was in the air.

"We . . . are fine . . . we just wanted to quit." Leila answered short and started again to fight with her tears.

Confusion spread between the faces of Major Friedkin and Special Agent Savage, they had no idea where this was coming from and both looked more than dazzled at each other.

"You just want to quit? That doesn't sound good. Are you sure you want to do that? It would be tragic if you would leave this academy without a degree." Agent Dawnguard said in a voice like sugar.

"Th-that's okay. . . we already made our mind up and leave tomorrow morning." Leila said and turned back to the door and for a short moment looked Leila directly to Nathan and what he saw frighten him, a mammal on the edge to break and he knew one thing for sure, Leila Darlia would get this night not even one minute of sleep. Nathan followed her with his gaze and saw how the vixen flinched from the voice of Agent Dawnguard.

"Sad, that you three will leave us, but I hope that you will never forget what you learned and experienced here. . . Some experiences remain for the rest of your lifes, at least I hope so." Agent Dawnguard said.

Katherine and Mona joined her sister in front of the door, all three siblings stood close together. Just Leila answered without turning around.

"Please Agent Dawnguard, you don't have to worry. I will always remember what I learned . . . especially the lesson from today."

All three vanished as fast as they appeared. Again echoing voices from the floor into the office and again listened all mammals carefully to the short conversation.

" _Leila . . . Leila, please wait! I . . . I want to apologize for what I did."_

" _Forget it Stella, . . . I should have just left you alone and I hope you can leave me alone now."_

" _But . . . but Leila! . . . Dammit, why didn't she take my stupid apology?"_

Nathan understood that it was time for him to rejoin again the with the rest of the group, he nodded a last time to the two ZBI Agents and of course one time to Major Friedkin. As he walked through the door and saw Judy, Elliot and Stella standing in the floor and discussing what happened, he felt that something wasn't right. Leila was scared to death but not because of Stella, it seemed like Agent Dawnguard was the reason of her fear.

'Why should a cadet be scared because of an instructor, that makes no sense.' Nathan thought and stood in front of his friends.

"What did you do Nathan?" Stella asked.

"I . . . I refused to work at the Precinct One and asked to be teamed up with you in Tundra Town." Nathan said and waited for Stella to get angry at him but nothing like that happened, instead took the arctic vixen, the black wolf in a tight hug. Nathan who was a head taller than Stella looked confused at Judy and Elliot. Both smiled at him in a kind way.

"We had assumed that you would do something like that, you're just too kind to let Stella face her punishment alone." Elliot said. However, Judy crossed her arms and changed back to a serious gaze.

Stella, who still clung to Nathan, departed slowly from the black wolf and he saw, that she was wiping a tear from her eye, as she stepped back.

"Are you crying, Stella?" Nathan said and chuckled about the red inner ears of the arctic vixen, which could just be a reaction of his question. Instantly she pushed him slightly away and turned around. "Ehmm, No? That's just . . . dust, that's all."

"What happened to the Darlia sister, that they left so fast." Judy asked.

"They . . . well, they quit. Tomorrow morning, they will leave the academy." Nathan replied.

"What? Why?" Stella continued the question, everyone wanted to ask.

"I don't know, she named no concrete reason but . . . " Nathan said.

"But . . . what?" Elliot added.

"It seemed like she was afraid because of Agent Dawnguard . . . don't ask me why. I have no idea . . . but something is definitely strange here." Nathan said and ended with what he knew.

From the office, walked Agent Savage with his paws in his pockets and passed the little group. Ne nodded without any sign of emotion to Judy and said.

"Hero."

Judy however nodded just back and replied cold.

"Jack."

After Agent Savage was outside of the hearing range, Elliot turned to Judy and said, "Wow, one thing's for sure, you two won't be friends that easily."

"You have no idea, El." Judy replied.

With a smile on his muzzle laid Nathan an arm around Stella's shoulder and said grinning at her.

"And? Are you afraid?"

"Why, should I? We will work together on the Precinct 4, I will not be kicked out of the academy . . . everything is fine, if you ask me." Stella said and grinned back at him.

"One word my future partner to bring you back to reality — Patty."

And just as his word left his mouth, all color vanished from Stella's ears and snout. The only thing she could reply was a simple.

"Oh."

 **Nick**

"Crazy year, heh, Sis?" Nick said while he watched the stars above him with a grin on his face. Both Wilde Siblings stood at the railing of the ZPA roof and waited for the rest of the group to show up and tell them about the newest development.

"Hhmm." Patty replied. The normally joyful vixen had her head laid on the highest pole of the railing and tried to scratch with one of her yellow painted claws some rust of the metal.

"What's wrong Patpat?" Nick asked and used on of the oldest nicknames he had once given to her. The moon was shining down on them and by now blew a cool breeze over the roof, which made it quite chilly for a lot of mammals to be up here.

"Don't call me that . . . You promised me, remember?" Patty replied and showed again a little smile to her brother.

"Okay, okay . . . So what's wrong, did you ruined another dress while you fixed Leila?" Nick joked to her but he already assumed, that the problem was a completely different one.

"Do you think she hates me now . . . I mean because I slapped her in the face?" Patty said and her light green eyes looked up to her older brother, waiting for a reply or some soothing words. And as the good older brother he was, Nick knew what his little sister needed in such moment.

"Oh please Patty, this artic vixen is nuts about you. I saw her so many nights staring at her phone and looking through pictures of you two . . . she could never hate you. Damn, she would even beat anyone up, who tries to insult you. Isn't what happened today not proof enough of her love?" Nick said and saw that Patty started to think about his words. Her tail, which laid until now completely lifeless on the ground started slowly to move from one side to the other.

"Listen, little sister, I know her for a while now and I bet Judy, El and Nathan got their paws full of work, to bring her down, because right now she will be too nervous to see you and that just because she is afraid to lose you." Nick said and leaned himself with his right arm on the railing, turning to his sister on the left.

"I . . .I know that she likes me but I have the feeling she is sometimes annoyed of me…" Patty said, still with a meekly voice that wasn't really hers.

"Can you blame her? You can be a huge pain in the ass from time to time, Sis." Nick replied and grinned down at Patty, who puffed up her cheeks and prepared her counter.

"Ohhh, you stupid, stupid, stupid . . . Brother." Patty said and started to punch weakly Nick's chest and tummy with her paws. The attempt was so hilarious that Nick started instantly to laugh, a laughter so contagious that Patty was instantly infected with it.

"Help, violence against police authorities! Ahahah." Nick said loud and chuckled. Patty had by now stopped the punching and leaned with her paws and head against Nick's chest. Chuckling, she had closed her eyes and waited for him to say something to her. Without hesitation wrapped the older brother his arms around his younger sister and took her into a tight and heartly hug.

"We are two lucky bastards, Sis, to find mammals that love us more than we have deserved." Nick said and pressed Patty's head softly with his paw against his chest.

"Speak for yourself, idiot . . . I'm adorable." Patty replied and both started again to chuckle like little kits, they once were.

"Yes, you are . . . Fine, then I'm the just lucky bastard here with my bunny, no problem with that." Nick replied and recognized by now that both had slowly started to move to a tune Patty was humming.

"Oh brother, when were we the last time dancing . . . And by the way, how's Snowflake doing with her practice?" Patty asked and raised her head from his chest. Fast, she straighten her back and changed with Nick in a typical dancing position. Patty placed her left paw on his shoulder and her right one stretched out, waiting for his.

"She's the worst dancer I ever met . . . And I danced a lot of years with you." Nick said with a teasing smile to Patty, while he laid his right arm on Patty's back and took her right paw into his left.

"Pffft, idiot. If I remember correctly and I know I do, was a certain Nicholas Wilde the one who stepped the first half year on my feet . . Oh and I'm impressed, old-timer. You still know the basic position for dancing." Patty replied and stuck her tongue out to her brother.

"What do you say Patty, a little dance for the sake of old times? Maybe a waltz? And for your information, dearest sister, I just stepped on your feet because you weren't fast enough for me." Nick said.

"Well, if you want to be proud of your quickness brother . . . Maybe I should ask JUdy how she likes this part of you." Patty replied with a dirty grin.

"Oh please Patty, Judy would just blush and lose her skill to answer. By the way, you have no idea how sensitive bunnies can be." Nick answered without any sign of shame.

As if they had done in the last years nothing but dancing, started both siblings to move in circles on the little roof of the academy, only the pale moon illuminated the scenery. Patty hummed for them the typical waltz melody and Nick led the dancing couple over the roof, like he did many years before, from circle to circle until they completed the first round and ended their dance exactly at the same position were they had started it. At no point stepped one of the mammals on the feet of the other or had problems to follow the rhythm or beat of Patty's humming.

"Who would have thought that? We are still awesome at dancing, Sis." Nick said and parted slowly from Patty, as he saw that Stella stood at the door to the. Slowly, Stella walked over to them but waited until they had finished. Her sky blue eyes almost shone through the reflection of the moonlight and for a moment Nick thought to see tears in the eyes of Stella.

"And just in time, comes my replacement for the night. Ms. Conroy over here, please! This vixen here is waiting just for you." Nick said and stepped back, while he bowed down and pointed with his paws to Patty.

"Are . . . Are you sure. I didn't want to interrupt you two, you looked so great at dancing." Stella said and stood unsure behind Patty. Nick slowly walked away from them but of course he knew, that he could hear them from almost any position on the roof.

"Don't worry sibling time is over, now is couple time." He said and sat himself on the heightening on which he and Judy had last Halloween already a good time together. Curious, like he was watched Nick the two vixen, even if he pretended he would not to.

Nervously massaged Stella her paws which she held in front of her tummy. Her ears were lowered and listened carefully to everything that happened around her but her eyes were just fixed on the back of the red vixen right in front of her.

"I'm sorry Patty. . . You were right, I shouldn't have done, what I did today but what she said about you . . . I couldn't take that, not about the mammal I love. And . . . And I thought long about what I would tell you . . . I could lie to you that something like this would happen never again but the truth is . . . That's not me. I protect what I love with everything I got and if someone would insult you, I would probably snap again. And I'm already so sorry for that . . . But that's me." Stella said and waited for a reply. Her head sunk slowly downwards, until her chin touched finally her chest and the only thing Stella saw, were her and Patty's feet which were turning now towards her. The edge of Patty's dress blew slightly to the cold wind. Stella feared what would come next and didn't even noticed that she clenched her paws together.

"I know Honey . . . and I want you in no other kind of way. Your my vixen . . . and I was just shocked, you know with the blood . . . and the bleeding Leila and all of that . . . It was awful to see you like this but do you know what was the worst Stella?" Patty said and put her left paw under Stella's chin. Lifting her face slowly up to hers, so that both could look into each others eyes. Light green eyes looking into sky blue eyes. The warm smile on the face of the red vixen tried to scare away the fears on the face of the arctic vixen.

"What was it?" Stella asked.

"Your face . . . Your beautiful face, that was torn by anger and which I couldn't even recognize. Then, I snapped and just wanted that this part of you was gone, I wanted my vixen back. My calm, gorgeous and kind vixen. And I did, what I never wanted to do and at least of all to the mammal I care about most . . ." Patty said and stretched now both of her paws up to Stella. Carefully, Patty wrapped her paws around Stella's neck and drawn the arctic vixen close to her. Forehead to forehead and nose to nose looked both mammals each other in the eyes and finally Stella started again to smile and close her eyes.

"See? That's the gorgeous face I was talking about. Keep that, it suits you best." Patty said and smiled even brighter. With both paws took Stella Patty's face and gave her the kiss, she wanted to give her the whole day. Sunken into each other, the two vixen stood in the cold of the night, embracing each other so that no other source of warmth was needed. Patty, who was more than delighted about the kiss, that she popped one of her foot up, with it she looked like a lady from a different century.

From some meters away, sounded just the clapping of two paws. Nick applauded his sister and Stella to the successful reconciliation but earned from the arctic vixen just a waving paw that should signal him to stop with the teasing. He did what Stella showed him but was now distracted by a new smell.

Clearly smelled Nick behind him a well known scent, this one always remembered him at danger, crazy adventures, burning buildings and of course . . . hare.

"An adorable couple, don't you think?" Jack said and sat himself beside Nick, who just grinned down at his old friend. Jack ears laid down and he was obviously playing with something in his right paw.

"Oh, that's something you don't have to tell me Mr. Creep. . . I almost forgot, you have a weakness for vixen." Nick replied and chuckled softly.

"Tse and that said the one, who watches his own sister making out with another vixen? You and your double standards." Jack replied with a slight smile on the face.

"Better those standards, than none." Nick replied and looked now at Jack from ear tip to toe. The right fist of the hare was clenched and Nick saw that he was holding something

"Okay, what do you have for me?" An long overdue birthday present?" Nick joked.

"Sort of . . . but for me it was always a memory of better times." Jack said and flipped with his thumb a black object, which was bigger than a normal coin, over to Nick. The old trickster had of course no problem catching the item in mid-air and holding it instantly against the moonlight. Delighted about the object, he started loud to laugh.

"I knew you would like it." Jack said and leaned satisfied back on his paws. With a shaking head turned Nick his head back to the hare.

"Ohoho, Jack, Jack, Jack. How many ZBI rules do you had to break, to get this thing out of the evidence chamber?" Nick joked but Jack answered with a deep sigh and said.

"Don't ask . . . Maybe too much but all the cases are closed and I don't think that anybody will open them ever again. I used it the last years to make decisions . . . stupid, heh?"

"Sounds just about right, if you ask me." Nick replied.

Illuminated by the moonlight held Nick a black poker chip between his thumb and index finger. A memory from his first mission with Jack and Skye. On the one side stood the incredible sum of 10,000,000.00 Zootopian Dollars together with the name "Rising Sun Casino" but as soon as he turned it around was there just deep scratches and burning marks on the other side.

"My biggest win, I ever had in a casino and I had never the time to cash in my winnings. You could have at least waited to blow up that casino until I had my price. . . Where do you found it? Oh man all the memories connected to this little guy. Remember, every time we had to make a difficult decision and didn't know what to do, we just flipped this coin and looked what happened, oh boy was Skye pissed whenever we used this, instead of having a discussion between adult mammals . . . No, we just let the luck decide and look we are still alive." Nick said and saw that as soon as her name was mentioned his mood and facial expression darkened.

"You dropped the chip at the docks before you took this unexpected swim you told me about and I had to explain, how this piece of evidence from a two year old case could appear on this crime scene. It caused me a lot of trouble . . ." Jack said and became silent.

"So . . . Why do you tried to get it back? I never thought you were so excited about memories with me. . ." Nick said and sharpened his smirk again.

"Because . . . I don't know. After I thought you were dead and she left m- . . . the agency, I didn't know what to do. My work became more and more meaningless and on top of everything else I saw how The Company claimed everything everything for themselves what we saved from the crime syndicates. I realized that we made their dirty work . . . Maybe I was a little depressive in that time and I tried to get something back from that time, where everything was almost perfect. Maybe because of that but finally I gave up my position as an active Agent and became an instructor and trainer for the newcomer . . ." Jack explained and watched how Stella and Patty stood on the railing and watched the moon, while they embraced each other tightly.

"Oh come on Jack, be honest. You were depressive until you saw me today on the training field . . . I saw your little smile. Like a school boy, who saw his crush after a long time." Nick said and poked Jack with his elbow. A little chuckle came from the hare as a reply.

"It was mistake to come here," Jack said and massaged his temples until he started again,"Anyhow . . . tell me one thing Wilde, why don't you contacted me after that incident? And don't tell me you couldn't, you always said it's not about the if, it's just about the how . . . so, what stopped you?" Jack asked and crossed his arms in front of his chest. For the first time in this conversation vanished the smile on Nick's face and he became something he would call 'serious'. With a sleight of hand moved Nick the poker chip over his paw and let it disappear and appear, this whole act took almost five minutes but at the end Jack still didn't understood how Nick was doing this. Five minutes in which Nick thought about what he wanted to say and let the chip again disappear in his paw.

"I was tired of the danger, tired of making money, tired of everything . . . I didn't wanted to risk my life for nothing . . . because you were right the Company owns everything now and all the great victories we had together were meaningless. So I began with the easiest hustle I could imagine and became a ice hustler. We made 200 $ a day, more than enough to survive and even more for me who everything and yet nothing." Nick said and looked up to the entrance to the roof.

"But, aren't you now in the sam dangerous situation? Maybe even worse, Nick?" Jack asked confused and added," I don't understand it, what changed?"

Right now stepped Judy with Nathan and Elliot behind her in the cold night. All mammals started instantly a conversation and Nick felt who his lost smile returned to his face as he looked at his bunny. Judy was in the center of the mammals but she had still a direct view to Nick. A supporting smile flashed over Judy's face to which Nick just replied with a blink of his left eye.

"SHE changed me. That is what happen, Jack." Nick said and looked still with moony eyes to Judy.

"But how? You know how this world works, you know that she can't win but still . . . but still you believe her." Jack asked with a confused face.

"Wrong Jack, I believe IN Judy. That is a huge difference . . . Do you want to know what she did to me?" Nick asked with a big smile on his face.

"Fine, tell me." Jack answered with a deep sigh.

"She made me care about the mammals around me. Something I had long forgotten. At first I cared just about her but step by step and mammal for mammal, the circle became wider and wider. Mum, Patty, Nathan, Elliot, Stella, Judy's siblings, Judy's parents, damn even her whole family . . . every one of them is important to me. Not because I have to . . . it's because I want to but she is the most important mammal, because she connects everyone together and she is also the one who started all of this. Believe me Jack, she can change this city. As you correctly quoted me at first, the question is not whether it works but only how." Nick said with a grin and held his right paw in front of Jack's face with a simple movement of his paw, let Nick reappear the poker chip. The ears of the hare dropped, as he thought about the trick but couldn't came to satisfying explanation.

"You see the poker chip disappear but you're not wondering if I can do that, no. The only thing you ask yourself, is how . . . And It's the same with Judy. The question with her is not when or if she will change this city but just how." Nick explained and looked over to a completely confused Jack, who took his time until he answered.

"Well, I have at least to admit that she and you gathered an interesting group . . . I have no idea if it will be enough but . . ." Jack began but Nick ended his sentence,". . . It will."

"So, Jack. We are alone and no one is listening . . . I think you can tell me now, what happened with Skye, don't you think? I mean, we are friends, at least that's what you said, so I think I have a right to know what happened on that day." Nick said and tried to bring on his most soothing smile. Jack didn't looked up, he just stared in the darkness in front of him and started to talk.

"I fucked up, that is what happened." Jack said.

"Jaaaack . . . ? Is that really all? I think you have more to say, than just this." Nick said and looked with concern to Jack.

"No . . . After you ended your song, Winters and I walked down the promenade, right to the end. There she laid her paw on mine and . . . well . . ." Jack began but couldn't proceed as the memory hit him.

"Oh my goodness, are you blushing?" Nick asked.

"What? NO! . . ." Jack replied and turned slightly away.

„Oh my god, yes you are! Hahaha, the big ZBI Agent Jack Savage is blushing because he held paws with someone . . . Hahahaha. Oh Jack, you make it way to easy for me." Nick replied and kept on chuckling but Jack tried to continue as if nothing has happened.

„. . . Anyhow, Winters said: Jack, as much as I like our little cat-and-mouse games, I would like it much more, if we would finally take a new step in this relationship. I asked what she meant with that because at that time, I knew what I felt but I said what I thought . . ." Jack explained but didn't recognized how Nick sat beside him with an open mouth, that fell even deeper with every word that Jack spoke.

"Please, don't tell me you . . . ?" Nick said.

". . . So, the Agent in me replied as he would reply and said that I see us only as friends and partners in the ZBI . . . Winters became hysterically and shouted at me, she said that I knew that this wasn't true and she couldn't believe that I'm really such a big idiot to tell her something like that at the end of such a wonderful day . . . Of course she was crying and turned herself a last time to me and asked if friends and partners in the ZBI is really everything I feel for her . . . Again replied the Agent in my how I was trained to, I replied yes and she walked crying away. When I wanted to follow her, she just shouted at me, that I should leave her alone . . . forever. That was the last time I saw her." Jack ended, by now he sat in a tailored seat position and had paw on paw and finger on finger. Patiently, he waited for Nick's judgement.

His voice was almost no noticeable, when Nick began to speak, "How can one mammal be so stupid . . . I awaited a lot of things from you Jack but not this. I thought, that at least for once in your life you would make a decision for yourself . . . What happened? Why didn't you talked to her?"

"When I arrived the next morning in the agency, her workplace was already empty. No sign that she had ever worked there. I took the day of and tried to talk to her in her apartment but like you can guess. . ." Jack explained, his facial expression became more and more miserable. For a short moment expected Nick even that, the toughest ZBI Agent he knew would start to cry but no, he could keep it together.

"She was gone and her apartment was already empty . . . Now I understand what she meant back then, damn I was such an idiot." Nick said and facepalmed himself.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"We planned this whole thing in my apartment and when she left I asked her what she will do if the rare case would appear that you say 'no' and well . . . she said if that would happen, then everything would already prepared." Nick said and let now also his head hanging.

"She made everything dependent on that day and my decision. And planned all of this in advance." Jack stated and finally understood why that day was so important for her.

"I told you she wouldn't wait forever and seeing the mammal you like every day, without being able to be together with him can also be a torture." Nick said but started after some seconds to grin at Jack. "Well, then we will find her!"

"Don't you think I would have tried that? But she uses for sure her real name again and not our codenames and the only mammals who know them are the guy from the registration and the mammal itself and guess what the guy from the registration died two weeks before the last mission of a stroke . . .What? Why are you grinning like a mad mammal, Wilde?" Jack replied.

"What if there is someone else who knows her real name?" Nick said with a deep grin, that really made him look like a mad mammal.

"What are you talking, there is . . . Wait, you know her real name? How . . . and why?" Jack jumped up from his tailored seat position. By now had Nick crossed his legs and wrapped his paws around his right knee which laid on the left one and which swung slowly back and forth. He had this smug grin on his face, the one Jack always hated. Nick tilted his head and looked up to the hare.

"Do you remember what we did after the third mission . . . you know, the one where we infiltrated this huge company to get those blueprints for the ZBI back?" Nick asked.

Jack's ears dropped, as he started to think about this event but he couldn't remember much from that night.

"I . . . I remember what we wanted to do but . . . but I don't remember what happened afterwards in that bar. . ." Jack said meekly.

"Of course not! You passed out after the second drink . . . you fierce warrior of justice." Nick teased and watched again the rest of the group. Patty had still one of her arms wrapped around Stella but this didn't seems to hold her back to tell a joke . . . everybody laughed and on the highest pole of the railing, right in the middle of the group sat Judy and watched her fox from tim to time with a smile.

"Okay I get it Wilde, maybe alcohol isn't one of my strong points . . . But now tell me please what happened afterwards? What happened with Winters?" Jack asked and Nick could see how curious he was, he could have decided to just tell him but it was Nick, without an attempt to tease the ZBI Agent.

"First, stop calling her Winters . . . the name she chose for herself is Skye, okay? And second, after you were in the depths of dreamland, Skye and I had a great night . . . you know the typical stuff, drinking, talking, joking . . . maybe a little bit of flirting . . ." Nick said casual but Jack heard the last word and was immediately triggered.

"You did WHAT?" Jack shouted at Nick but the red fox and his facial expression didn't moved an inch, even not when the through combats and operations experienced Jack stood with clenched paws in front of him.

"Flirting, you know like . . . she lays one of her paws on the table . . . I do the same thing, close to hers and start to caress the backside of her paw while I speak with her . . . looking deep into her eyes . . . you know such things." Nick said and grinned up to Jack.

„ . . . Wilde, I warn you!" Jack replied and shook his head in anger but Nick just kept on talking.

„Where was I? Oh yes, after that I walked her home, beautiful cloudless sky – a dream. And in her apartment . . . well, a gentle mammal enjoys in silence, right? But, I tell you the view from her bedroom window in the morning? Gorgeous!" Nick said and watched how Jack reacted, he had enough but he also didn't wanted to hurt Nick(or maybe he wanted now). Nick wasn't so sure at the moment and thought about the fact if the same thing would happen now to him, like it happened earlier to Leila. But Jack chose to go and avoid the fight with his old friend, even when the story that Nick told him, had hit him hard.

„You know what Wilde, it was a big mistake to talk to you again . . . and I thought we are something like friends." Jack

Full of rage, Jack turned to the ladder, with which he climbed to the roof of the academy and which was directly beside his window. Just when he touched the metal and felt the cold on his paws, he heard Nick shouting to him.

„Fiona." Nick said and turned, still sitting with one leg over the other, to Jack.

„What, Fiona?" Jack asked and sigh deeply.

„Her real name, you wanted to know it, right?. . . It's Fiona." Nick said and saw how confused Jack stared back at him.

„Why are you telling me this right now! Do you expand your story now, that she told you this, while you did it with her on the couch?" Jack shouted over to Nick and had now the full attention of the group at the railing but Nick himself didn't changed, he smiled just at Jack and talked on and shortly after even most of the group went back to their conversation, with the big exception of Judy, who was now more than interested in the talk between Jack and Nick.

"No but this would be a good idea for the extension of my story . . . What I told you was a lie my friend, to see how much you still care for her and boy you did the best angered crush impression I ever saw Jack. Ever."

"What? It was a lie?" Jack asked. His eyebrows were raised as if someone had told him he was adopted.

"Of course it was! What do you think of me and shouldn't you know by now, that my preferences are on a different specie? But, it showed just too good that your brain turns almost completely of as soon as Skye is involved."

„What happened then?" Jack asked with anger in his voice but more than curious about this night, from which he knew almost nothing.

„The first thing you have to know about Skye is, when she drinks she becomes a blabbermouth, one of the worst kind. Nonstop talking and she knew only one topic at that night. And that was you. Jack this, Jack that . . . For two hours she was praising you and telling me everything about you and your work together . . . that made me curious. And so I asked if there is someone she likes to know a little bit better, if you know what I mean. At first she just blushed and tried to beat around the bush but just for some seconds her eyes wandered to you my friend. The sleeping hare next to her." Nick explained and made a little break to let the words sink into Jack, who stood by now directly in front of Nick.

"When I saw, that she was also on the edge to falling asleep. We called it a day. I said I would bring her home and you could sleep it off in the bar, I know the owner so no problem there. The whole way to her apartment, I had to support her because she couldn't walk in a straight line but she still couldn't shut up about you. And so I just asked her, I think my exact words were: 'Okay Skye, let's point out the obvious, you have a crush on Jack, right?' Drunk as she was, she replied with wide eyes and said 'Who are you, that you know such things?' and you know me, funny as I am, I held my paw to her and I replied 'Nicholas Wilde, Con Artist, Mind Reader and expert for romantic dates.' . . ." Nick explained and made another break. Jack waited for more, Nick could see how eager the hare was to know everything about that night but there was also another long eared mammal from the other side of the roof, which tried to follow the conversation.

"Then came her big mistake, which she not even realized. She grabbed enthusiastic my paw, shook it and replied to me with a drunken voice, 'Fiona Simmons, ZBI Agent, Film enthusiast and hopeless in love with a hare that is already married to his work . . . , Nick . . . please help me . . . would you do that? Pretty Pleeeeeease?'. But before she could hear my answer, her eyes closed and she fell asleep, which meant I had to carry her up the stairs, pick her lock because I had no idea where she had her keys and I didn't want to screw up my reputation as a gentlemammal. In her apartment, I placed her carefully on the couch, took on of the delicious cookies from the kitchen, the one she made for you but said it would be for the whole work crew. Then I left but not without leaving a glass of water, some aspirin and a note on her couch table. That was what really happened, Jack. No mating, no romantic date . . . just a desperate vixen, who drunk a little bit too much." Nick said and grinned again to the hare. Jack however looked dumbfounded to Nick, who waited for a reply.

"I think I owe you an apology, for this little *mhmm* 'outbreak' of emotions." Jack said and looked quite embarrassed.

"No need to buddy, see it as a redemption for not contacting you after the last mission and I tell you something more, I help you to find her and if everything we do fails . . . then I use my Black Wildcard from Void to find her, what do you say, Jack?" Nick said and watched the hare in front of him. For the first time in his life did Jack something, he had never done before. Stiff and hesitant tried Jack to hug Nick. The fox who was now embraced by a slightly elder mammal, laid his paw on Jack's head and stroked it with a grin down.

"Oh you bunnies, so emotional." Nick repeated the old sentence, which he didn't used for a while and felt how Jack pushed himself away from Nick. As fast as everything started, was it already over. Ashamed, Jack turned away and did as if nothing ever has happened.

"Thank you but you know, you don't have to do that for . . . me." Jack said and took a quick look if someone else from the group saw the hug but they all seemed to occupied with their own conversation.

"I know but I do it for a friend . . . Oh and better don't tell Judy anything about it. I have the feeling she could become a bit angry, as soon as she knew, for what I will use my Wildcard." Nick replied and heard the chuckling of Jack how held by now a small card in his paws, up to Nick.

"What's that?" Nick asked and took the card.

"My private phone number. You wanted to contact me right? So, if you ever need my help or the help of the ZBI, call me. I know Ms Hopps will never work with me but I know, if everything goes south, you would take my help." Jack said and turned to the ladder.

Nick looked for a moment confused to Jack, "What makes you so sure?"

"Because you were right, we are very similar . . . she and I but there is one big difference. She is not depraved like me. At least not yet and I hope this will stay for a while." Jack said and took the first rung of the ladder but stopped, "Oh and from tomorrow onward, you, Hopps, Conroy and Graham are trained by me. You are all part of the Agent and special force training and Nick . . . you will hate it, I guarantee it."

Both mammals just smiled at each other before Jack's grey face with the black stripes vanished from Nick's sight and another grey furred mammal just approached him.

"I hope you had a good talk with Jack." Judy said, while she sat herself besides him, Nick could hear all the contempt in Judy's voice as she spoke out his name.

"Oh quite good my little bunny. Say . . . wanna see a magic trick?" Nick said and wrapped his right arm around Judy but which was still long enough, to have his paw right in front of her face. With a long trained and quick movement, Nick let reappear the black poker chip in his paw. A flash of joy waved over Judy's face as she saw th little trick.

"How did you . . . wait 10 million dollars? I didn't knew such chips exist?" Judy stated with astonishment.

'As if you know anything about Casinos, Judy but it's even more adorable that you pretend to know.' Nick thought and watched the joy on her face.

"Well, there is only one ever created and I have won it . . . legally of course . . . okay, let's say mostly legally." Nick said and stood up, stretching all his paws.

"A good story?" Judy asked with a smile.

"One of the best, darling. And definitely one I have to tell you one day, Carrots." Nick replied and held a paw out to his bunny. Judy, who gladly accepted her partners offer, took it and both walked paw in paw back to the rest of the group.

"I would love to hear that one." Judy said and leaned onto her fox while they walked the last steps.

"One day Carrots, one day." Nick replied and wrapped his arm around his bunny.

 **Jack**

Final report of Special Agent Jack Savage for the ZPD recruits, who took part in the ZBI training. The following reports will give a short overview of the trained mammals and their potential to become ZBI Agents. All further Information were requested by ZBI Director Arthur B. Lynch.

* * *

 **Name:** Hopps, Judith Laverne

 **Specie:** Lepus sylvaticus

 **Sex:** female

 **Chosen Codename: "** Queen"

 **Rank:** Officer

 **Trained in:**

\- Advanced close quarter combat

\- Use of automatic guns, semi-automatic guns

\- Leading of a Police Tactical Unit + Use of Advanced Body Armor

\- Advanced interrogation techniques

\- Advanced Leadership Training

 **Comments:**

\- Good marksmammal

\- Outstanding close combatant, even against larger mammals

\- Outstanding leader qualities

\- Mentally very resistant

\- Stubborn to the point of self-harm

 **Approval ZBI:** approved by Special Agent Jack Savage and confirmed by ZBI Director Arthur B. Lynch

* * *

 **Name** : Wilde, Nicholas Piberius

 **Specie** : Vulpes vulpes

 **Sex** : male

 **Chosen Codename** : "Jester"

 **Rank** : Officer

 **Trained in** :

\- Advanced close quarter combat

\- Use of automatic guns, semi-automatic guns and sniper rifles

\- Leading of a Police Tactical Unit + Use of Advanced Body Armor

\- Advanced interrogation techniques

 **Comments** :

\- Outstanding marksmammal

\- Mediocre close combatant

\- Terrible Driver (under no circumstances, let him drive during a mission!)

\- Outstanding talent for interrogations

\- Talent for thinking outside the box

\- Tends to bend or ignore laws

\- Tends to be loyal only to fellow Police Officers and especially Officer Hopps

 **Approval ZBI:** approved by Special Agent Jack Savage and confirmed by ZBI Director Arthur B. Lynch

* * *

 **Name** : Conroy, Estella

 **Specie** : Vulpes Lagopus

 **Sex** : female

 **Chosen Codename** : "Shiva"

 **Rank** : Officer

 **Trained in** :

\- Advanced close quarter combat

\- Use of automatic guns, semi-automatic guns

\- Leading of a Police Tactical Unit + Use of Advanced Body Armor

\- Advanced handling of edged and bladed weapons

 **Comments** :

\- Outstanding close quarter combatant, even against larger mammals

\- Good marksmammal

\- Outstanding driver

\- Able to make quick decisions even in most difficult circumstances

\- mildly irritable

 **Approval ZBI:** approved by Special Agent Jack Savage and confirmed by ZBI Director Arthur B. Lynch

* * *

 **Name** : Graham, Nathaniel

 **Specie** : Hybrid(Canis lupus/Canis aureus)

 **Sex** : male

 **Chosen Codename** : "Fenrir"

 **Rank** : Officer

 **Trained in** :

\- Advanced close quarter combat

\- Use of automatic guns, semi-automatic guns

\- Leading of a Police Tactical Unit + Use of Advanced Body Armor

\- Advanced Skills in Defusing Bombs and the technical

 **Comments** :

\- Very good close quarter combatant

\- Good marksmammal

\- Calm and Collected even in high pressure situations

\- Tends to overthink situations

\- Tends to step in for other team members without regard of his own safety

 **Approval ZBI:** approved by Special Agent Jack Savage and rejected until further notice by ZBI Director Arthur B. Lynch


	28. A Good Day

**Nick**

Lost in his thoughts, Nick stood now for quite some time in front of his bedroom mirror, staring at himself in his blue uniform, only the black tie was still missing and laid rolled up, on the properly made bed.

He needed some time to adjust to his old and somehow new apartment and especially to the new fox in the mirror, who was looking back at him, as if he wanted to say, 'Hey buddy, stop thinking so much! Aren't ya happy?'

Somehow he was, Nick looked around him and everything was a little bit different than before he left but it made him happy to see how it was now. Before the Academy, this could also be a show apartment, a place for mammals who want to buy something new and fancy to live in. Everything was clean, stylish, modern and now where Nick saw the difference – dead. There was no life in it. A clean and bleak open kitchen which went directly over in an uninspired living room, only Nick's large music collection showed, that someone with hobbies was living here. One room completely empty, because Nick never knew what he should do with that one and another one just here to store his guitars and some random stuff, he could also store in his basement. His bedroom, bath and also the balcony were no difference. And every wooden surface was made of dark cherry wood, which reminded Nick now more of a coffin, than a cosy color for a place to live.

And then Judy moved in and changed him and his apartment little by little.

It began all in the bedroom, which had before Judy just the obligatory bed, a half filled closet with fox clothing, the mirror in front Nick stood right now and two nightstands, made of the same dark cherry wood. The first thing Judy changed against her loneliness at night in this big apartment, was to fill her nightstand(the right one) with all the stuffed animals and little plushies she brought from Bunny Burrow with her. Night for night, watched now an army of little bunnies over the grey furred doe from their lookout but with her to bed took Judy only the fox plushie that Nick won for her on the funfair and which had now its permanent place in the middle of the bed. Besides the fox, which Judy named 'Pib' and which was for Nick a clear allusion to his second name – something about he remained silent with a smile, laid two middle sized pillows, one had the form and color of a carrot and the other one of a blueberry in the size of a watermelon.

But those were just the first things that entered the apartment, it followed pictures of Nick, Judy and of course the rest of the group which hung now on the wall of the living room. On one grinned Patty, Stella, Judy, Nathan, Elliot and the fox himself in the camera. This was in January to Stella's birthday in the Moo-town Bar, all of them had a colorful drink in their paw and they had persuaded Stella to wear a little pink and glittering party hat. Another one was from around Christmas on it a stressed Judy, who helped a relaxed looking Emilia with cooking while Patty watched from the side and shook her head about the two, another photo showed a sleeping Nathan and Elliot on a couch in front of the fireplace of the burrow but also in the frame were Nick and Jess, which stood giggling besides them and pointed to the mammals, which were holding paws while they slept, knocked out from too much action in the snow. Obviously a prank from Nick and Jess. In the middle of those photos were the one Nick liked most, one just with Judy and him. On it held both mammals paws, while they were ice skating on the little lake behind the burrow of the Hopps family. Judy and Nick didn't even knew that Jess had taken that photo of them but for Nick it was simply perfect perfect. Both lovers had just eyes for each other, while they skated over the ice, around Nick's throat laid the way to large scarf, Judy made for him.

All of this memories hung now together on the wall of the living room and became slowly more and more. At the end of the last summer Judy and Patty had also bought a lot of flowers and plants, which both had distributed over the entire apartment and which Judy planned to increase in the next weeks. Nick had to admit, that the caretaking of flowers and plants was something that suited her, always when she was in the middle of her work and Nick watched her, he saw how relaxed and happy she looked. He remembered just too good when he asked her about this hobby, on one of the weekends where he visited her in Zootopia.

"You are a strange mammal, Carrots. You did everything to escape BunnyBurrow and the farm work, to live in the big city but still, is the first thing you chose as a new hobby the same work you once tried to escape?" Nick asked sitting at the kitchen counter and watched his bunny. Judy remained silent for quite some time before she answered with a smile.

"Looks like we can never quite escape our past, hmm Slick?"

"Maybe." Nick said and chuckled before he continued watching her.

But those were also just memories, very pleasant ones but right now he tried to prepare himself for the graduation but no matter what he did, his mind drifted always back to the same question.

'How long will this last?' Nick asked himself but knew just one answer for this that he could accept, 'As long as possible.'

Nick tried to concentrate on his outfit again and had to admit, that he looked good in the uniform and he bet Judy would say the same thing. Nick looked at his own smiling face and felt that he was happy. Not just for his changed life and apartment, no. He was also happy to achieved something important. For him, to have proven that he was not just a good-for-nothing bigmouth, for Judy to show her that mammals could change if they had an aim in Life, for his mother and sister, to show them that her brother and son was no criminal but a honest citizen of Zootopia.

'Today will be a good day.' Nick thought to himself and heard how Judy was searching for her Police Officer hat but was at the same time still in a phone call with her mother.

" _. . . No mum, we told you already . . . Yes . . . Aha? Look mum, I know you like to come here with Dad, Cathy, James, Jess and all the others and watch the ceremony but we already explained you why . . ."_ Judy said to her mother and stood now in the door frame to the bedroom. Nick watched her carefully with his green eyes and smiled down at his bunny as he thought about all the things that happened in the last year. He decided to end his 'career' as a hustler, rejoined with his Mum and sister, joined the ZPD, found together with Judy new friends that would even go with them into the depths of hell but the most important thing that happened was that they became a couple. A fox and a bunny.

It was something Nick still couldn't completely understand. Just yesterday night he awoke after a bad dream. Not one of those movie dreams were someone awakes screaming, no he just awoke and felt uncomfortable from the images he had in his mind but there she was, sleeping right next to him and her arms were clasp around his right arm. A quiet snoring sound came from her and when he inhaled her soothing and sweet scent, all the bad memories in Nick's mind slowly faded away.

Carefully, Nick had pulled the sleeping bunny to himself, her head now directly under his chin and her heart close to his. Fur on fur, she laid there with him and with a quick movement, Nick raised his head a bit and licked Judy over her cheek. A little teasing, nothing more but still in deep sleep spread a smile over Judy's muzzle before she drifted back into dreams, where she hopefully had a good time with a certain fox.

It took a while but Judy finally recognized, that Nick watched her with a moony smile. She replied his kind gesture by pointing with her free paw at the phone and rolling with her eyes. A chuckle came from the fox and he sat down on the edge of their bed but kept his view straight on his bunny.

"Of course, he is disappointed that you can't come but . . ." Judy said but Nick, who had still eye contact with Judy, took on a sad face and nodded slowly, as if he would agree to her statement.

" . . . in fact it was his idea, to keep our relationship hidden. What? Why you can't come then? Because it would be strange if half BunnyBurrow would be at the inauguration ceremony of a fox? . . . No Mum, I'm not speciest towards my partner . . . Fine, listen. Emilia will record the whole ceremony and send you everything she can save on her phone, how does that sound? With that the whole burrow can watch, how I pin the police badge on Nick's chest. Isn't that great?" Judy said and took the phone from her ear and covering the lower end with her free left paw. Again she rolled her eyes and said to Nick," Mum left and is fine with the video from your Mum but Amanda, Cathy and Jess are discussing right now, if it is acceptable for them or if they want a direct livestream into the burrow."

The discussion between the female bunnies continued and to use the time more wisely, Judy held the phone against her chest and walked towards Nick, until she stood right in front of the sitting fox. Revealing her pure white front teeth, Judy tried to give Nick her most seducing gaze.

"You know that you can't look at me like this, when we are on stage, right?" Nick said and returned the gaze.

"Do I know that? Yes . . . yes, I do." Judy said and leaned towards Nick until their lips met. With every second, Judy sank more and more into her fox and forgot that there was still a phone call going on.

"JUDY! STOP MAKING OUT WITH NICK AND ANSWER THE PHONE!" Jess shouted laughing through the phone. Startled by her sister, Judy almost dropped the phone to the floor but Nick was fast enough catching it in mid-air. Embarrassed looked Judy up to her smiling fox, her inner ears turned slowly red. After a quick look at his bunny and then at the phone, Nick tapped on the screen and put the whole burrow on speaker. Immediately sounded the chatter of several female bunnies through the phone.

"Okay Jess, we're done . . . And I think we will save us the rest for later." Nick replied more to Judy then to the rest of the giggling bunnies on the other end of the line and earned himself a little punch against his upper arm from Judy, who cupped now her muzzle with one paw and looked just embarrassed to him.

"Thanks for sharing your plans of the evening with us Nick . . . Oh and I think we need no videos or photos from this event . . .," Jess replied and earned herself another giggling from Amanda and Cathy, who sat directly beside her,". . . but we want of course the video, how the half-criminal and shaddy mammal known as Nick Wilde becomes a honest citizen of Zootopia." Jess teased over the phone. In no way was Nick offended, in fact he liked the little fights he had with Jess and tried to go even further.

"Strong words bunny, could the distance between us, be the reason for such bravery?" Nick said and saw how Judy became now slowly impatient with him.

"Pffft, someone like you I take on at any time Wilde, don't forget I tamed a wolf." Jess replied.

"Yeah, you tamed a black wolf with a heart made out of cotton candy, great work Jess." Nick replied and saw that Judy was pointing at her wrist to tell him that it was time to end the call.

"Okay Jess, unfortunately I have to end this call . . . your sister demands my attention and I think you know how she can be. Bye Bye, Bunnies." Nick said and like a choir answered the three bunnies enthusiastically.

"Bye, you two!"

The line went dead and it got quiet in the bedroom, just the noises of the city echoed through the open window. Cars with mammals, who were on their way to work, the tram with their loud ringing informed the mammals around it about its existence and of course the many, many pedestrians, who walked dozen of meters below them through the streets of Zootopia. With the noises came also a fresh breeze, which moved slowly Nick's fur and the hanging ears of Judy.

Both mammals were almost in full uniform and looked each other in the eyes. Judy stood in front of Nick, the fox whoever sat with spread legs on the edge of their bed and was totally sunk into her eyes. Without hesitation stepped Judy up on the bed and leand around Nick, to grab after the tie behind him. There was no question if she should do this, she started to bind the tie for him, while she hummed an all-time classic from Gazelle.

"So your nervous, Slick?" Judy asked while she popped up the collar of Nick's police shirt and slung the tie around his neck.

"Me? Please bunny, don't be ridiculous . . . . You are talking to Nick Wilde here. Why should I be nervous?" Nick said but Judy felt that he held himself back.

A smile flashed over Judy's face, while she stared concentrated on Nick's tie," Because deep down Nick Wilde knows, that his Mom, waited just for this day, which has finally come. Her lost son returns and shows finally what he is really capable of. Not as a hustler but an honest mammal?" Judy said, still smiling to the finished tie, when Nick took her paws into his. His face was serious, something that made Judy always a bit uncomfortable when it happened because she didn't knew what would happen from this point onward.

"Judy . . . Thank you . . . " Nick said and drew his bunny into a tight hug, which Judy immediately replied to. The warmth that came from Judy's body relaxed the fox and cleared his mind from all the bad thoughts.

"What for, Slick?" Judy whispered into Nick's ear.

"For everything you did for me." the Fox replied and Judy chuckled a bit about the sudden emotions of her fox. "Your welcome Nick . . . And I think you know, where to find me . . . Wooh, Nick!" Judy shouted chuckling through the apartment as the fox started to move.

Way too fast stood Nick up but held his bunny tight and let her sit on his arms, so that both mammals were on eye level. Like so many times before was the smug hustler grin on Nick's face as he talked to Judy.

"Oh yes, I know where you will be from now on . . . And that is always by my side, right partner?" Nick said and felt how Judy laid her arms around his neck, to drew his muzzle closer to her.

"And nowhere else." Judy replied almost whispering and leaned forward until their lips finally met. The kiss which seemed at first just like a quick one, developed fast into more. Eagerly grasped Judy's paws the red fur on the backside of Nick's head. And he felt how her small claws stroked forcefully through his fur and pressed with force onto his skin. A strong shiver emerged from his spine and went slowly down, until it forced every hair on Nick's tail to stand up. Judy's arousal, which was by now not just noticeable through his sense of touch but also through his sense of smell, infected him immediately and he accepted his defeat without resistance. Stronger, through the months of training in the Academy, Nick needed just one arm to held Judy up, with the other paw he stroked slowly from her fluffy tail, over her back until he reached his aim – her ears. Right now, Nick needed all his concentration to not lay her down on their bed behind him and follow their natural instincts, which screamed right now to him, that he and his partner were ready to spend the rest of the day in bed. A suggestion he would instantly accept, if there wasn't his graduation, his mother, sister and everyone else waiting for them.

Carefully, Nick stroked with his free paw over Judy's ears, because he knew that her instinct was to follow his paw. It was quite funny for Nick, when he discovered this the first time but also quite embarrassing for Judy, when she realized how easily she can be manipulated by him.

Forced by her instincts, Judy stretched her head after Nick's paw and while she slowly parted from his lips, a moan escaped her muzzle. Her purple eyes opened just half and looked demanding for an answer at the fox in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Carrots . . . but I don't know how long I can restrain myself from having you so close to me." Nick said and looked at the slightly panting Judy.

"Killjoy . . . What's wrong Slick? You're afraid of a little bunny?" Judy teased with a grin and leaned a bit back on Nick's arm, to give him some space to breath. She knew that her scent was driving him crazy and dulled this senses as well as his mind. Something, Judy used sometimes for her own advantage.

"No, not at all . . . in fact I like it, when you try to seduce me but I must say a big buffalo with an aversion for foxes, who would like nothing more, than to kick me out of the force? And that even before you pinned the badge on me?" Nick said, grinned and let the words sink into Judy's mind. A deep exhale, followed by a last quick kiss on Nick's muzzle before Judy jumped from Nick's arm. Elegant walked the doe in direction of the bedroom door and wagged her tail for him, while she was still moving. She knew that Nick liked that. Right in the door frame she turned to him with a seducing gaze and said,"Okay then, Come. I have to pin a badge to your chest."

Exactly as he had learned it, saluted Nick and shouted back in a military tone.

"Officer Hopps, Nick Wilde at your service." Nick said and saw how Judy giggled from his little salute.

"Not bad Slick, exactly like you have learned it in the academy and if you are a good boy . . .," Judy said and smiled mysterious at him and continued after a dramatic break., " . . . I will be at your service tonight, promised."

For a moment, Nick's eyes widen in astonishment but not long before he shifted back to his smug grin. With a wagging tail left Judy her fox alone in the bedroom and walked slowly to the front door. Nick checked a last time the tie but this wasn't really needed, Judy made a perfect half windsor knot and he thought about all the ties she had to bind for her siblings, when someone was marrying in the Hopps family. Smiling, Nick turned to the open window and closed it but not without taking a look at the town.

He took his sunglasses from his nightstand and put it in the chest pocket of his shirt. Judy however became already impatient at the door, "Nick? I'm waiting! Do you want that I rethink my service duties for tonight?"

"No way Carrots, a deal is a deal!" Nick shouted back and left the room with a grin.

'No, I was wrong. Today will definitely be a great day.'

Nick couldn't know how wrong this thought would be.

 **Judy**

With a big smile on her face opened Emilia Wilde the door to her restaurant, 'The Broken Circle' and let Judy and Nick in. She wore for this special day a blue cocktail dress, covered with a lace of flowers. Even if today was Saturday, normally the best day for a lot of guests, she had closed the Restaurant and gave most of the staff a day off. Just Heishiro, the old serow remained and insisted on helping Emilia with the dishes, he also wanted to see this group around Judy from which Patty had told him so much during her last visits and of course after such a long time, he wanted to finally met Nick again.

A little celebration in the restaurant, that was what Emilia and her daughter had planned for today and about no one knew. They had planned to celebrate multiple things this day, at first and foremost the start of Nick's, Stella's and Nathan's work as Police Officers, Elliot's start in the Data Center Unit of the ZPD and also the fact that Patricia, finally received her MD. Even if no one said it out loud but Emilia and Patricia planned this also for Judy, who had one year ago not the time to celebrate this event with her family in Zootopia. Shortly after the graduation, they all had to leave and drove back to Bunny Burrow.

Judy, Nick and Emilia, were the first to arrive at the restaurant but their drive was also shorter and Patricia had told her mother, that she had still something to do after the graduation. A secret from which even Emilia didn't know what it was about.

"Just feel at home, you two . . . Nicholas, I thought we could sit over there, at one of the bigger tables with the . . . ," Emilia said but broke and pointed with her stretched out paw to a group of four semicircle tables, on which mammals could sit in a half-circle booth. The booth itself were all in black which laid in a good contrast to the light colored tables and the red brick walls. All three saw by now that Elliot sat already at one of them and talked to Heishiro. Or better Elliot was talking with a grin and Heishiro just stroke his beard while a small smile appeared on his lips.

" . . . Or you just sit yourself where Elliot already sits." Emilia said resigning and directed her next words directly at her employee, "Heishiro! Come on, stop the chit chat we have guests!"

Emilia said and walked directly behind the wooden bar in the back of the room, with its multiple hundreds of bottles, which were filled with harder and less hard liquor and which shone in all different colors of a autumn wood through the incoming afternoon sun. With great interest watched how the elderly vixen disappeared behind the counter obviously searching for something.

Slowly realizing who arrived, Heishiro the oldest employee of the Broken Circle, stood up from his seat and turned towards the arriving fox and bunny. With a slight smile and a stretched out claw he welcomed at first Judy and made a little bowe.

"Miss Hopps, it is as always a pleasure to meet the hero of the city and of course such a beautiful young lady." Heishiro said and gave Judy a quick kiss on the backside of her paw. Judy who was still not adjusted to such behavior blushed a bit but was again reassured from where Nick had his 'skills' with female mammals. Despite that, the bunny was more than happy to see the old serow again. The first time Judy was here together with Patty was more an exhibition, even if Patty would decline that. The red vixen invited her one evening in October for a calm dinner but used the visit also to show the 'hero of the city' to the rest of her family. Judy liked the restaurant crew but the old serow was really something special. Always a joke on his lips or some wise or charming words he would share with you. During this time, Judy felt that Patty was more for him than just the daughter of the chief. The way he looked at her, it was more like a proud father would look at his own daughter. It was something Judy felt even more after Patty told her more about her past and the past of her mother. Unfortunately she couldn't tell her anything about Mister Wilde, just some vague stories and and an old photo where Nick sat on the lap of his father and both looked calm in the camera. No smile on both muzzles but their resemblance was undeniable. Like father, like son. At least in regard of their visual appearance.

"Heishiro, I told you to call me just Judy, I'm just a mammal like everyone else . . . but it is also nice to see you again." Judy replied in a charming tone but felt also a bit flattered about his words. Heishiro winked a last time to Judy and turned to Nick.

"Nicholas, my boy! Let me take a look at you. . . Oh, you look good, son but I guess Miss Hopps is keeping a close eye on you, ey?" Heishiro said and embraced Nick in a tight hug, which the normally distant fox replied with a smile on his face and the same amount of empathy. Judy understood, what applied to Patty, applied also to her brother, even if he was gone for a long time, he didn't forget who raised him. Both siblings had spend great parts of their youth in this restaurant, with those mammals, while her mother was working for their daily income. They were like family and they are still.

"Oh, you old charmer but you know claws away from my bunny . . . but say are you still making the best Sushi in whole Zootopia?" Nick asked and held Heishiro by his shoulders. A barking laughter came from the serow before he could answer the fox in front of him.

"Ahahaha . . . You know what, Nicholas? Sit down, order and you will see that nothing has changed, son. I would even say it has become the best on this whole continent." Heishiro answered, while he pinched Nick's chest softly with his right claw and turned afterwards half-way to Elliot, who sat in the booth and looked grinning to the newest guests.

"Anyhow . . . While you were busy pinning badges to foxes and wolfs, I was here preparing everything and had also a nice talk with Mr. Anderson, here." Heishiro said and pointed over to Elliot, who just grinned back at Judy and Nick.

"I think my profession is needed in the kitchen, so have fun while I prepare the meal and for the drinks . . . I think Mrs. Wilde will gladly take this part today." Heishiro said and went slow to the kitchen.

"Hey Boss, Hey Nick. Who had thought, that we would all meet here?" Elliot said and nodded grinning to his friends.

"El, where were you? I thought you would come to the graduation, to watch me how Judy pin a badge to my chest?" Nick asked with a smug grin on his face and sat himself with Judy to the beaver. Judy was now in the exact middle of the semicircle, Elliot to her left and Nick to her right.

"I thought I could get for once enough of this thing, from which I couldn't get enough in the academy." Elliot said and took a sip from the black drink in front of him. Judy thought at first it was just Cola but sensed after some seconds the sweet but heavy smell of Rum, lime and brown sugar.

"And what should that be Elliot?" Judy asked amused.

"Sleep Boss. Just fourteen hours of sweet, dreamless and uninterrupted sleep. Something you didn't seem to give Nick, last night." Elliot said, smiling to himself, while he played with the little umbrella in his drink. Of course saw Judy, that he grinned at her. The doe, occupied with turning red, didn't know how to respond for some seconds before she started a discussion with Elliot about dos and donts and his behavior in public. Nick however just grinned and turned his view over to the bar, where his mother appeared behind the counter.

"Gotcha." Emilia said and held a big and green bottle in her paws. Immediately she started to dust it off, as if she tried to reassure herself that this was really what she was looking for. Happy with what Emilia read on the bottle, smiled the elderly vixen and put it together with enough sparkling wine glasses on a serving tray. Fast and steady, she walked back to the table and balanced the tray with the heavy bottle on it, as if it wasn't there. The years of experience spoke for her.

As soon as Emilia placed the service tray in front of the little group, Nick took a deep breath and wanted to say something but the door to the restaurant swung wide open and slammed almost against the wall but was stopped in the last moment by a black paw.

"Guess who's back?" A high pitched voice shouted over to the little group from the entry and all eyes were instantly directed to the door, even if no one had really a question who this could be but everyone was interested how she had dressed herself today. With raised arms walked Patty through the restaurant towards her mother, nobody knew why but Patty seemed even more happy than usual.

Half-loud, Nick joked to Judy and Elliot ,"Good thing, she's not overdoing it today and wearing something too flashy."

Elliot and Judy cupped their muzzles to contain themselves and tried not to burst into loud laughter. Nick brought it to the point. Patty was anything but subtle for Stella's and Nathan's graduation and Judy bet she was the center of attention during the whole ceremony.

Patty's choice of the day was a creme colored dress, which was over and over imprinted with cherries, to all of this she added a big red ribbon directly above her tail and a red petticoat to complete her look.

Behind her followed Stella and Nathan, both in their police uniforms and attached to their chest a shiny and golden badge. The white and black predator seemed very proud about the aim they had achieved. After they took a look around and their hats down, the white vixen and the black wolf followed the with joy overflowing red vixen into the restaurant.

A quick kiss placed on the cheek of her mother and Patty sat herself besides her older brother, who needed just a glance to see what was different on his sister. Chuckling he poked Judy with his elbow but she couldn't understand what he was so amused about. He saw the common confusion and to clear the situation for everyone, Nick raised his voice.

"I see, you finally made yourself earrings, Patty. But didn't you always said you would just do this, if someone joins . . ." Nick began but before he could end the sentence, his, Emilia's and Judy's eyes stared at Stella's left ear. Three black dots went down the outline of her ear but the highest dot was right under the tip. The arctic vixen sat herself beside Patty and wrapped her arm around the hip of her vixen. With a bright smile on her muzzle explained Stella what happened. Nathan whoever sat himself besides Elliot, both mammals greeted each other and bumped their fists at each other with a smile.

"After the graduation, Patty told us that she always wanted to have earrings but she didn't had the guts to do it alone . . . You all should know by now that I can't refuse her any wish so. . . I thought it would be a nice symbol for a new start, here in Zootopia . . . Not to forget that I always wanted to do something like this." Stella explained still with excitement in her voice and a blush on her ears that covered right now perfectly the swelling under her piercings.

In Patty's ears however, hung now on each of them one 'normal' earring. At least as normal as something could be when it belonged to Patricia Wilde, both earrings looked like a pair of cherries and completed her look of the day. Judy was still unsure if the memory of making those or the earrings itself were the reason for Patty's extremely good mood.

Finally began Patty to explain the rest of the story, "To give you all she short version of the story. Right after the graduation, I said I want to do something memorable for this day and both followed me like little, well-behaved lambs . . . Anyhow, I went with those two sweethearts into the piercing shop and banged 100 bucks on the counter and said, 'Alright buddy, how much piercings we got for this little fortune?' The over and over tattooed pig behind the counter just grinned at me and replied, 'Well, bold Lizzy, for that cash you can have six of them.' And that's how we did it." Patty ended and folded her paws, more than satisfied on the table.

It didn't took long until the first one in the round found the mistake in the calculation. With a clear confusion on her face, began Judy to speak,"Okay, unless I've made a mistake . . . Where is the six one?"

Chuckling, Nick spoke up, "My bunny . . . not just good in multiplying but also in addition."

A joke for which he earned himself some chuckling but also a nudge from Judy and her elbow. Heavy groaning came from Nick and he looked down to his feet, trying to pull himself together as good as he could. Judy ignored, except for the little punch, just what she heard from her fox and looked questioning to the couple of vixen. With a bright smile on their muzzles raised Patty and Stella their free paws, which were not wrapped around the hip of their partner and pointed to the right ear of Nathan. Directly under the tip of his right ear glanced a white point to the others. No blush was seen on the black wolf, not that it would be possible to recognize a blush on him anyway but his eyes looked around without any visible trace of shame.

"You know, Stella wanted those three earrings as a symbol. One for me, her new partner at the ZPD, which I repaid her with one and which I will wear from now on with pride. . ." Nathan said and looked over to Patty, who almost directly continued," . . . One for me, which should her always remember of the smart and cute vixen, she has from now on by her side and in her bed." Patty said and gave Stella a kiss on her cheek, which was also the sign for her to continue but the arctic vixen took her time before she answered and her face turned a bit sad. Meekly she answered.

"One . . . One to remember me that I finally left my old life in the north behind me . . . and started a new one." Stella said and took with her last words Patty's free paw into hers.

A short silence came over the group, in which Emilia began to give out champagne glasses for everyone on the table. Finally, she took the bottle from the serving tray and stood it on the table and to Judy's luck stood it perfectly so that she could read the brand, which was 'Moët & Chandon' . . . one of the most expensive brands you could find on this site of the hemisphere. Judy's dad tried once to get just one small bottle for his wedding anniversary but it was practically impossible. She bet even Nick would have his problems, to get his paws on one. After she took another look on the brand, Judy noticed that this bottle was old, not antique but old and to be precisely thirty-two years old, this was what the date said. A glimmer of idea spread in Judy from which occasion this bottle was and made her think, that Stella wasn't the only one who wanted to put an end to something today.

"So Officers from the cold District of Tundra Town, tell me how was the graduation. Do you already lost some toes to the icy ground?" Emilia asked and smiled lightly down to the three predators, that arrived last. Patty waited already impatient for her turn to tell what happened. Stella however remained silent and had her gaze locked on her and Patty's clasped paw.

"Before someone else can ruin my memory of that ceremony . . .," Nathan made a short break and looked reproachful to Patty, who seemed to feel wrongly accused through his gaze but he continued without answering ," . . . The Precinct four has the, in my opinion, great tradition that not the chief is pinning the badge to your chest but your partner in the force . . ., " Nathan began but Patty interrupted him fierce from the side, still grinning at the two," . . . OH and those two almost killed each other on stage . . . it was great."

"They did what?" Judy asked confused Patty beside her. Nathan and Stella knew what would come now, both groaned and leaned their heads on the back of the booth.

"Do you really have to tell this story, Honey?" Stella asked and was supported by Nathan," Yeah, Patty. It's over, almost nothing happened, we can now go on to celebrating ourselves and having a good time."

Alternating switching the light green eyes of the young red vixen between her mate and Nathan. Checking if she could tell this story without pissing them off too much but everyone knew by now that she would tell this story, had to tell this story. Nick had once said to Judy that Patty has to tell almost everything that comes to her mind or her brain would explode at one point. Back then, Judy had just laughed and thought it was the joke of a teasing brother but by now she knew it better.

"Oh please, as if you don't know that I would tell this story anyway . . . Okay, listen everyone! After the Chief of the Precinct four, an old moose with an obvious dislike of white vixen . . . Sorry Snowflake," Patty said and squeezed the paw of Stella, the arctic vixen laid still leaned against the back of the booth and waved just with her free paw, "Nothing new to me . . . "

"Anyhow, after he called all six new recruits on stage, beside our dreamteam was there also two polar bear brothers, a deer and a hare, he handed them the badge of their partner. After Stella had received her medal, Nathan was the second one who took out Stella's badge and pinned it to her chest and this time we have to take it literally, because our black wolf here, was to nervous and rammed the needle INTO her chest!" Patty said and waited for a reaction from her audience and they came. Judy, Nick and Elliot breathed sharply and Emilia took on a questioning gaze towards Nathan, who just shrugged and seemed to regret what he has done or so his flat ears seemed to indicate.

"Imagine an audience with dozen of mammals in it, as silent as a grave, on stage a vixen who tried not to squeal from the pain she felt and in the audience her better half who couldn't hold it together and started loud to laugh. So a great show for all of them, the audience was confused, Nathan embarrassed and Stella on the edge to cry about the pain in her chest. And oh, was your chief pissed about that, Snowflake…" Patty said and nodded to Stella, who replied with arms crossed in front of her seemingly still hurting chest ,"Oh really, Darling? Was he? I almost didn't recognize after our Chief shouted at me and said if something like this happens again, I have Parking Duty for at least one week."

Instead of being ashamed, something which would be completely new to Patty, the red vixen wrapped her arms around Stella, draw her into a hug and whispered into her ear, "I saw Judy's meter maid outfit, wear it at home and it could still be a great week for you, promised."

Patty ended and pressed her lips on the side of Stella's snout. The arctic vixen however, swallowed heavy after those last words and cleared her throat to respond.

"Mhmm, maybe . . . maybe this week as a meter maid wouldn't be too bad . . . after all."

A chuckle went through the group and infected from the good and jolly mood on the table, Judy turned herself to Nathan and said, "Come on Nathan, admit it, you accepted this earring just because you felt indebted to Stella because of this badge incident, right?"

Nathan, who scratched his neck and looked with a pitiful gaze at the grinning doe," Partly you are right Judy . . . but after thinking some minutes about it, I liked the idea."

Judy smiled as a response and answered, "Well, it suits you Nathan."

"Thanks Judy . . . maybe Nick and you want some as well?" Nathan said.

"Ehm . . . I think we are fine, hehe." Judy replied with an insecure chuckle.

"Well Nathan, at least you have now something cool on you. You know, something that makes you interesting for other females." Elliot said and chuckled. Judy had the feeling that El had today already enough to drink, not that the beaver could take a lot. On Christmas it took just one cup of Jess's infamous mulled wine, to make him sleep for almost twelve hours in front of the fireplace.

"Heeey, I am interesting for other females." Nathan said, slightly hurt from Elliot's words.

"Oh Please, which wolfess or other female mammal is interested in old ruins, history books and chess?" Elliot said with a clearly drunk voice and Nathan scratched nervously his neck, "Maybe not the most but . . . okay, I admit that this are no things, a 'normal', almost twenty year old wolf would do . . . are you done now?"

Annoyed looked Nathan up to the ceiling and crossed his arms but the half-drunk Elliot saw how Nathan reacted and rethought what he had said, at least he was slowly getting better in reflecting his own social behavior, thought Judy. With a shaking paw, he grasped the forearm of the wolf and looked up to him.

'Maybe he is more than just half-drunk.' Judy thought and kept an eye on him by tilting her head slightly.

"And you know what Nathan, we love you for . . . well this and how you are . . . *hic* . . . Sorry . . . and one day you will find a pretty wolfess and together you will make lots and lots and lots of cute little cubs . . . And do you know why?" Elliot said, the influence of the alcohol was now undeniable.

Smiling looked the black wolf down to his buddy.

"No, I don't know. Why Elliot?"

"Why what?" Elliot asked confused and having clear problems to keep a straight thought. Everyone on the table watched the two friends and chuckled about the beaver and his strange attitude when he got drunk. It happens not often but everytime he was in this state he became always emotional and wanted to share what he really thought, something he tried to hide normally, as good as he can.

"Why . . . should this happen to me?" Nathan replied his question.

"Oh . . . yes. Because you my friend are one of the kindest mammals I have ever met, if anyone deserves to be happy, than it is you and every female who calls themselves your girlfriend can be darn happy to have you . . . and I bet you will be a damn good father. Or so . . .hell, what do I know." Elliot finished and sunk back to his place and left a smiling black wolf.

"Thanks El." Nathan said.

"Your welcome buddy." Elliot replied have asleep.

Judy looked at the wolf but saw that the smile on his face wasn't real, in fact he looked very sad but tried to hide it as good as he can.

"Nathan is everything okay?" Judy asked.

"What, oh . . . yeah! Don't . . . Don't worry Judy, it's fine." Nathan replied but he obvious lying. With her grey paw reached Judy to him and clasped his right.

"Nathan if something is bothering you then. . . " Judy began but Nathan laid just his bigger black paw on his, together with a slightly better faked smile.

"I know Judy . . . believe me you would be the first I would talk to . . . not that I have a lot of mammals to choose from anyway . . . hehehe . . . sorry." Nathan replied and tried as always too laugh it off. Judy didn't know the problem but she also knew that this here wasn't the right place and time to talk.

Emilia who stood until now in front of their table and followed the explanations of her daughter with a smile, put Elliot's empty glass on her serving tray and smiled at the beaver.

"I think he has enough for today." Emilia said and turned to the rest of the group, "Anyhow, I'm glad to hear, that you had all such an interesting inauguration ceremony . . . I will get Heishiro from the kitchen and also two extra glasses and then we can toast all of you. I found just the perfect drink to make a new start and get rid of the past." Emilia said and walked into the kitchen.

The waves of chuckling and talking waved over our little group and with it changed the topics from planned vacations, to what Nathan and Stella expected from their first week in the force up to some jokes from Patty and Nick. The mood was more than jolly and Judy didn't even recognized that a new and more than welcomed gust had arrived. Just Nick did and he looked straight up to the entrance of the Restaurant. The moment she was drawn back into reality was when Nick's paw closed around her forearm. At first, she thought just about a gentle gesture from her fox but as she looked up to him, she saw just one green eye and in it the clear signs of fear. His body was completely stiff and Judy was a bit shocked about his expression, it was new to her and all she could do was to follow his gaze until she saw and understood why he was like this.

Green glowing eyes reflected from the entrance of the restaurant and focused for a short moment just on Judy. When she thought back to this moment, then as the first time in her life that Judy was terrified from someones mere existence, it was not like the train ride or in the museum or even with Gideon when she was small. There she had control or at least the possibility to escape but right know she felt trapped, just like prey.

She felt how her paws started to tremble and there was no way to get rid of this eerie feeling, it crept slowly from her feet up her body and was finally in her head, where it altered all her senses and made her numb.

The elderly fox took a step out of the shadows and it was now that Judy saw that the darkness he was standing in, was created by another mammal that stood behind him, a huge mammal or to be more precisely a brown bear with a deep scar on the right side of his face, dressed in a black suit. Finally in the light, a fox stood there in a black suit, black tie and white shirt. Everything was tidy and there was no sign of creases at all. He was a perfect copy of Nick just older, with more white in his fur and the coldest gaze Judy ever saw on a mammal. But one thing made her shiver and that was the thought of the resemblance between father and son. A quick glance at her fox intensified this feeling even more.

The elderly fox stepped without hesitation and without fear into the room, his arms shrank behind his back, he watched around the place as if he would own here everything and that included also the mammals in the room.

"Thirty-two years and she changed almost nothing in here . . . Not that I had expected anything else." The fox said with a fake smile on his muzzle. Judy looked at her fox and saw that Nick was trembling but she couldn't tell if it was fear, anger or something completely different that made him feel this way. All eyes were concentrated on the new guest and his companion, who protected the door with an emotionless face but didn't made any attempt to walk further into the restaurant.

He took some more steps towards the table and right when Judy wanted to open her mouth, Emilia stood already in front of the door to the kitchen with the two missing glasses in her right paw and looked at the fox in the middle of the room. A mammal she didn't saw for the last 24 years and which she didn't wanted to see until the day she would die.

If Judy ever saw a face in her life, so distorted by emotion and blinded by pure hate, then it was the one of Emilia Wilde in this moment. The vixen was growling at the fox with clenched teeths. For Judy was one thing clear, Emilia was not in the mood to talk.

"What do you want here?" Emilia barked to him but her words almost completely drowned in another deep growl of her. The fur in Judy's neck started to stand up and she bet that she wasn't the only one, who felt this way. A quick glance showed that everyone on the sat there in shock and watched what would happen.

"Oh Em, are you still upset about me? Even after all this years?" The elderly fox said and provoked Emilia even more. His fake smile not vanishing for a second.

"I told you to never call me that again . . . and especially I said one thing . . . stay away from my children." Emilia said, her gaze completely locked on the fox.

"The brave elderly vixen, tries to protect her cubs . . . How brave, how motherly, how . . . pathetic. Do you really think you have the power to do so?" The elderly fox ended his sentence and Judy saw that he would get what he wanted. Muscle for muscle lost Emilia Wilde control over her body, until there was nothing left but her hate and anger, that she had towards this fox.

"I did once!" Emilia said.

"Please Em, Luck and my lack of interest doesn't count." The fox replied with a dirty grin but it was all that was needed to give Emilia, the last push.

"Emilia, no!" Judy shouted but it was already too late.

In just some seconds rushed Emilia to the fox, who stood still in the middle of the room, as if nothing was wrong. Her path was short and just a second before she run into him, she dropped the two glasses in her paw, grabbed into the pocket of her apron and drew the knife, like she had trained it endless times before and which she prepared just for this moment. But what happened next was even for the trained eyes of Judy Hopps hard to explain.

In a liquid movement, grabbed the fox the wrist of Emilia's right arm with his right paw. He made a step to the side and placed his left paw in the neck of Emilia. With little force brought the fox the vixen out of balance and only a second later to the ground. Directly with the impact made the stretched out arm of Emilia a painful sound, that Judy knew just too good from her time in with all her siblings. This arm was definitely dislocated but despite the pain Emilia would definitely had, clasped the vixen to the knife in her paw.

"Aahhhhh . . . you damned . . . aahhh!" Emilia screamed in pain and looked now just with one eye up to the fox who was kneeling right beside her and held her to the ground. None of the knew police officers could move, to fast happened the things in front of them and to shocked were all of them about the turn of events.

"Let go of the knife, Em. Or I have to do this the hard way." The fox said calm and clear. No word from the table, everyone was still too shocked to react properly.

"Never . . . aaahhhh." Emilia screamed again, as soon as he heard her answer, he tightened his grip on her wrist even more. His muzzle was right between the ears of Emilia but Judy had no problem to follow the conversation between them.

"Fine, as you wish." Replied the fox cold and stabbed with the claws of his right paw through the backside of her right paw. Wailing and bleeding, she dropped the knife and he snatched it with a trained paw out of the air and let the shaking arm of Emilia drop to the ground.

Again echoed the calm and cold voice through the room,"What did you thought would happen, Em? That this would work twice on me? Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me. You know how this works, right?"

A short silence fell over the room, in which the fox took a good look at the knife in his paws and then at his wife underneath him.

"Who could have thought that your peace loving hippy father, who liked nothing more than to play his stupid guitar and babble about the piece between all mammals, bought you such a fine piece of blade, mmh Em? And Trogon was right, you still look good for your age . . . maybe I should visit you one night alone." Adrian said and grinned, Judy saw clearly that he was inhaling her scent and maybe right now he would for short moment remember the old times,.whatever this meant for him.

"Go to hell . . . Ahhhh." Emilia replied to her husband but started instantly to scream when, he heard those words and tightened his grip around her wrist.

"Oh, don't worry I surely will . . . But right now I thought about repaying the favor, you once did to me." The fox said and Judy saw that he stroked with the finger of his left paw over the palm of his paw.

And with his last words he rammed the knife into the wooden ground, the blade just inches away from Emilia's muzzle. Silent but audible, echoed the crying of the proud vixen over to the table. Her crying seemed by now just the normal reaction of her body to an extreme situation, her will to fight was still unbroken.

" . . . Just . . . stop it . . .or . . ." Emilia pressed the words through her teeths

"Or what?" He asked smiling.

"Stop it!" Judy shouted from the table, now standing on the booth and holding her gun in her paws, pointing directly at him.

"Adrian Wilde, you are under arrest!" Judy said and felt that this words felt so surreal to her, not even a year ago she said the same words to his son and now he was sitting beside her as a trained Police Officer.

But she felt better, as if she had snapped out of the first shock and was now ready to react but she had to admit his appearance had taken her by surprise and how she looked to the others, was she not the only one who was dazzled.

"Lucky you, darling. It seems like the _heroine_ of Zootopia has finally the guts to stand up for you. Maybe she and I can have now a decent conversation. Now where you learned where your place is." Adrian said and placed a kiss on the head of Emilia, right between her ears. Growling tried Emilia to fight him off but his grasp around his neck was still too strong.

"What am I accused of, Officer Hopps?" Adrian said almost happily, as if he awaited such words from her and stood up from his kneeling position. Still, he kept an eye on his wife, he seemed to await more resistance from her. With ease he pulled the knife out of the floor, while he stood up and kept it in his right paw.

Smiling, he walked again towards their table, ignoring his suffering wife behind him completely. There were no signs of regret in his expression, just a nasty smile.

"I accuse you of threatening and harming your wife, Emilia Wilde. With me, are multiple Police Officers as witnesses that can confirm the situation and the outcome." Judy said and felt now back in her old role more confident.

Still, the smile didn't vanished from Adrian's face. Like a predator who encircles his prey, walked the elderly fox through the rows of tables and chairs, having his gaze always on the bunny while Judy followed him with her gun, pointing at him all the time.

"Let me get this straight Miss Hopps, after returning to my family. I, an unarmed fox of fifty-two years and honored citizen of this town, who was attacked by his own wife as soon as he entered her workplace is accused of threatening her? Even after I disarmed her and ensured with this also your safety?" Adrian said, stopped at a table not far from them and made a dramatic break, by shaking his head with a smirk.

'What is it with this family and their tendency for drama?' Judy thought and groaned internally. A short glance at Nick showed her, that he was still shocked about the presence of his father, the one he had searched for almost seventeen years. Judy knew, he would get ahold of himself, he just needed some time. Nathan and Elliot glared at Adrian but ensured themselves from time to time, that they didn't missed a sign from Judy. Elliot leaned against the booth and Judy assumed that this wasn't the first time he was in such a conversation. However, Stella's gaze was cold and locked on the old, red fox before her, Judy knew this gaze from her. She was ready to attack, all she waited for was a word from the bunny. On a whole different level was Patty, the happy and joyful vixen was all gone and what was left of her wasn't far away from the gaze of her mother, when she first saw her husband.

"You, Miss Hopps, saw that I get rid of an unregistered, potentially very harmful weapon, which is by the way forbidden in Zootopia. You should thank me Miss Hopps, I did you a favor . . . no, to be exactly I did your job. How does that feel?" Adrian said and stood now right in front of the table. With a fast move of his right paw he threw the knife on the table, where the blade kept stuck in the wood, right between Patty and Stella.

Judy tried to keep calm but knew he was right. Emilia attacked him, she used a forbidden weapon and he disarmed her, maybe with more pain than needed but he did. Like in the Nighthowler Case, Judy felt as if she stood on the wrong side, as if she would help the wrong mammal but what should she do? He was right, there was no crime he had committed, at least not here under her surveillance or Judy had to accuse also Emilia of a crime. And if worse comes to worse, he wouldn't even be persecuted.

A voice sounded over from where Emilia laid on the ground, it was the one of Heishiro who helped the elderly vixen up.

"Give me your left paw my dear . . . That's good and now take a little support from an oldtimer like myself." Heishiro said smiling and helped Emilia as good as he could to get her back on her feet, which were still shaking from the shock of the attack. Emilia's left arm laid around Heishiro's shoulder and her right one hung limp down. After some seconds of watching the two, recognized Judy that blood dripped from Emilia's paw. Not much but the wound Adrian inflicted on her seemed to be deeper as Judy had thought in the first moment. A look at the face of Emilia showed her, that she was in terrible pain but her will and hate were unbroken. Heavy panting she shouted over to the the bunny.

"Judy . . . shoot him! Blame it on me . . . I don't care! I will take full responsibility for this but please do it as long as you have the opportunity! Please . . . Judy!"

"B-but I can't, d-do something like this. I can't kill another mammal!" Judy shouted back, confused and slowly with shaking paws.

"You can! Please Judy, you don't know him, as good as I do . . . he is not just a mammal, he is a monster! Finish what I couldn't do!" Emilia shouted in pure desperation.

Judy was shocked and didn't know how to further respond to such an odd request, for a moment she even thought about an terrible joke from her but her look was dead serious. Adrian whoever seemed to be in a great mood. Chuckling, he took a chair from another table and stood it half a meter in front of their table and sat down with crossed legs.

With a smile he looked over to Judy and smiled his cold smile, while Judy pointed her gun now directly at him.

"You know, Miss Hopps, my wife is right. Shoot me as long as you have the opportunity for it or else you will regret it . . . I thought a hero will do always the right thing, without carrying about the consequences?" Adrian said.

Judy's paws were shaking now even more and here gaze switched back and forth, from Emilia to Adrian and back again. Not knowing what she should do or if this all was just a big joke, she lowered slowly her gun and looked to Emilia.

"I . . . I'm sorry . . . I can't do this." Judy said and saw how Emilia sunk a bit into herself but tried to smile at the bunny. Emilia saw that she demanded too much from Judy.

"It's okay Judy, don't worry." Emilia said in a meek voice, that didn't resembled her normal one.

Adrian clicked his tongue. He didn't liked what he saw. His face had changed, the smile was gone. He looked now almost disappointed to Judy.

"To bad Miss Hopps, I promise you that you will regret this decision tonight. Well then – my turn." Adrian said and raised his right arm."You said I had threatened my wife Miss Hopps, right?"

Judy nodded just weakly and watched what happened.

"I have to disappoint you Miss Hopps, that was no threat – that is." Adrian said cold and the smile returned to his face. The snap of his finger echoed through the room and for the first time moved the brown bear who watched until now the door. He pressed two buttons on his watch and talked into it. Not even five seconds later and four red dots appeared on Emilia's and Heishiro's body, who still stood in the middle of the room. One on their head and one in the near of their heart.

This time raised Adrian his left arm and revealed a watch on his left wrist but just with the difference that it wasn't a watch at all. It was a small radio unit, which he activated by pushing two buttons.

"As soon as they move, shoot them. When I leave the restaurant, you leave as well." Adrian said and looked to Judy.

"You wouldn't . . . " Judy said, the shock slowly returning to her and the feeling of helplessness, that she hated so much.

Carefully, folded Adrian his paws and laid them on his knee. Smirking, he took his time before he answered, "You Miss Hopps have no idea, what I'm capable of but I think you will soon understand."

With a shaking head stood Judy at the table, before she smashed her left and clenched paw with all the force she had on the table.

"WHAT in the name of all blueberries do you want from us?" Judy shouted at Adrian, who played the innocent and replied.

"Me? . . . I just want to talk." Adrian said and waited patiently for Judy's reaction.


	29. Declaration of War

**Judy**

For many minutes, Adrian Wilde just smiled at all the mammals that sat with him unwillingly at the table. There were no happy faces on the other side, just stern and concerned looks and expectations of what would happen next but the elderly fox took his time.

Too much, Patty finally decided. She had enough of his play and wanted just to help her mother, who was still in great pain. Ignoring the red dots on her chest and head as well as ignoring the danger from her father.

"Enough of this nonsense! Mum, wait I'll help . . . ." Patty said, but her father interrupted her. Adrian had ended his inspection of the mammals around him and now had his gaze locked on Judy and his words directed at Patty.

"Sit down and listen! I have no intention of repeating myself . . . you can treat her as soon as I'm gone." Adrian said and tried to stay calm.

"Why should I take orders from you . . . " Patty replied roughly, but she closed her mouth fast, as soon as his eyes looked directly into hers.

"Don't expect that I wouldn't hurt you, just because you are my daughter. Blood doesn't mean anything to me . . . Same as family or charity. To me, you are all replaceable, without exception." Adrian answered coldly and thought this would end the discussion, but he didn't know Patty. Defiant, the young red vixen answered, "Good, then don't expect that I see you as my father just because we share fifty percent of the same genetic material."

A chuckle was all that Adrian replied before he turned his gaze back to Emilia, "I think I can live with that."

Patty glared in disgust over to him and crossed her arms in front of her chest, but the concerns about her mother remained. To release at least some of the pressure she felt, Patty started to move her right leg restlessly to a fast beat only she could hear. Nevertheless, she forgot that she was no longer alone with her sorrows.

Carefully and gently, Stella placed her left paw on the fabric of Patty's dress, to comfort her partner. And even in this terrible situation, Patty received through this pure white paw on her thighs enough strength to wait and endure what was happening. Stella had her head half turned to Patty and gave her a small wink with her left eye. Now again smiling, Patty took her right paw from her chest and laid it on Stella's paw.

Judy saw that Adrian's gaze rested on the green bottle in front of him. He grabbed it and took a better look at it. After a while, a weird smile appeared on his lips.

"Oh Em, so many years and the only things you kept from our wedding is the knife and this bottle of Champagne? Well, I think if one doesn't work, you still have the other, right?" Adrian said with his head half turned to Emilia. He could see how his wife glared at him but what he didn't see was the cold and deadly gaze of Heishiro. Judy knew Heishiro and Emilia were in a dangerous situation but this . . . This gaze was different. There was more between those two; at least that was what Judy felt.

"I'm sure you don't mind Emilia," Adrian said and held the bottle over his head so that Emilia could see it. There wouldn't be any response, for the vixen any answer was meaningless. She knew that he would do whatever he wanted and so she kept her muzzle shut, " . . . I take this as a no."

Adrian smiled, undid the head of the champagne bottle and stood up from his chair to line up all glasses in one row.

Right now two emotions raged through Judy's chest, anger, and confusion but she had no idea which was more prominent or which emotion would win. As she looked around the table, she seemingly shared her emotional state with most of her friends. Even Nick seemed back from his shocked state.

"You wanted to talk . . . " Judy said sternly, but Adrian just kept on pouring the expensive alcohol from the bottle into the glasses.

"Easy, Miss Hopps. We have all the time in the world." Adrian said and again looked at all the mammals in front of him. With an utterly calm paw, Adrian filled the last of the seven glasses, which stood all in front of him.

"What I want Miss Hopps is to make you an offer . . . all of you." Adrian said. All gazes now turned back on him.

"I will give all you a chance . . . " Adrian said, took the first glass and stood it in front of Stella.

". . . to begin a new life, in a new town, . . . "

He stood the second glass in front of Patty and continued.

". . . with a new partner."

Next, he took two glasses, turned to the right side of the booth and stood the glasses in front of Nathan and Elliot, but he didn't let go of them until he finished his sentence to them.

" . . . to finally let the past behind yourself, never look back and . . . "

Adrian took the last two glasses and stood them in front of Judy and Nick, smiling as he looked at the couple in front of him and took his drink in his right paw.

" . . . have together a great future in the ZPD. How does that sound?"

"Or . . . ?" Judy asked and took a good look at the glass in front of her. Adrian didn't take long and continued where the bunny ended, ". . . or all of you will meet an early end."

However, she maybe didn't know why he would make them such an offering, but she knew that the glass in front of her was nothing but a symbol she could take or decline.

'Why would he do something like this?' Judy thought and looked in the faces of her companions. Most of them had presumably the same idea like her, and like her, the answer was long clear. Filled with determination, Judy pushed the glass in front of her back and the direction of Adrian. Four more glasses followed the example of the grey doe, just one mammal took the drink and smelled the alcohol. One from the group and it was the one Judy expected the least.

"NICK! What are doing!" Judy hissed and saw how her fox was smelling the sparkling liquid. Every one of the little group watched the fox with wide eyes, not understanding what he wanted.

"Judy . . . ," Nick said and looked at the glass in his paw before he took a deep sip of the almost golden liquid, kept it for some seconds in his muzzle before he swallowed it. The expression of Adrian Wilde darkened as he saw the reaction of his son.

"Just drink it, or it would be a waste of good alcohol . . . Or do any of you believe that a boss of the company would leave us alone if we accept? I don't . . . there was no choice we could make because he knew how we would answer, he just wanted to test us, and that is also not the reason why he's here, right father?" Nick said and waited for an answer from Adrian Wilde. However, the mammal who was in the underworld of Zootopia and other cities, better known under the name Kingfisher, just glared at his son, his smile was gone. Adrian emptied his glass and stood it back on the table.

"What do you mean, that is not what he wants? What then?" Judy asked her fox with raising concern in her voice.

"I don't know what he wants but one thing I know for sure because it happened in the past with other mammals. He could make all of us disappear; maybe he had some problems with you Judy but . . . But in the end, he would succeed. So why in the name of all blueberries, did he bother and make himself all the work to come here and talk to us, when he could easily kill us?" Nick explained harsh and had his eyes now entirely on his father. Nathan swallowed heavy from this new information, and Stella took the glass with the alcohol in front of her and emptied it in one gulp.

"Damn," Stella said and slammed the glass back on the table, grasping Patty's paw now tighter. The red vixen responded by stroking with her thumb over the paw of Stella's back paw. Elliot just clicked his tongue; he was tipsy but still sober enough to understand the situation.

"It seems like all the years on the streets taught you something about this city, Nicholas," Adrian said.

"More than you would believe, father . . . more than you would believe." Nick answered with disgust.

Adrian directed his next words directly at the bear, who still stood in front of the door.

"Todus, you can go home. I take the rest from here."

Dazzled, Todus looked to the fox. The brown bear was fighting an internal battle between his duties to protect his boss and following his orders.

"B-but boss shouldn't I... .?" Todus stuttered his answer to Adrian, who not even looked back at him. Right now Todus sounded more like a little cub who gets scolded by his father than a fully grown and fearfully brown bear.

"What have I taught you about questioning my orders?" Adrian asked like a teacher.

The ears of the brown bear sunk and if there would be any possibility for him to turn pale, then there would be right now no difference between him and a polar bear.

"S-Sir . . . I am deeply sorry . . . I shouldn't. . . " Todus continued to stutter, but Adrian interrupted him in a calm voice,"...Yes, you shouldn't, but you have. Just go now, we will talk about this on Monday."

The brown bear bowed a last time, knowing that the fox couldn't see him. His eyes were close to panic, but without further words of disapproval, Todus followed the orders that were given to him and left the restaurant without saying another word.

For a moment, Judy asked herself what punishment the brown bear would receive on Monday, but then her thoughts quickly drifted back to her miserable situation and the elderly fox that had been in front of her. Moreover, with it returned her anger about him and one specific wish, Judy wanted nothing more than to punch into that self-important smile, which belonged to Adrian Wilde. She wanted this even more than she wanted to hit Void back in that conference room of his nightclub, where she just sat together with Nick. A quick glance told her that Stella was also not far from the point of attacking him, but Judy trusted Patty to keep Stella under control, even now.

"What does one of the leaders of the Company want from four police officers, a medical doctor, and an IT expert?" Judy said as calm as she could.

"Help Miss Hopps . . . and you will be the one to give me this help." Adrian said and looked with a smile down to his paws, which rested folded on his thighs.

"Help? I can't imagine one possibility in this life, where I would help you." Judy replied and felt how her anger, slowly formed itself on her tongue.

"Oh Miss Hopps, you will help me, it is your very nature to do so," Adrian replied.

Sarcastic and full of mockery, Judy asked the fox in front of her, "What should we do Adrian? Kill some mammals or arrest some enemies for you?"

"No Miss Hopps, you and your friends will do much more for me. You will help me to start a war." Adrian said, his smile had disappeared, and just a neutral expression remained on his face. Confused, Judy tried to understand if she really heard the word 'war' or if she just imagined it but a look around her showed her the same emotions on the others, that she felt right now. Fear, confusion but mostly disbelieve.

"A . . . War? Against whom?" Judy asked carefully.

And there it was again, the cold smile of Adrian Wilde and Judy felt how it triggered her anger about him with every minute more and more.

"Isn't that obvious Miss Hopps? Everyone." Adrian said, and everyone who heard his words knew that he was serious about this. No joke, no teasing, just the blank and disturbing truth.

"What . . . ?" Judy answered in complete disbelief. It made no sense to her, not one bit. Why should somebody do something like this?

"You heard right, Miss Hopps. The Company, the ZBI, the ZPD, the town itself – everyone . . . This town belongs to me; I made it to what it is now and no one else. I demand just what is rightfully mine." Adrian explained and for the first time Nathan raised his voice. His interest in history and the accuracy in it was what drove him to his question.

"This town is much older than you, to be exactly over 200 years older, so how can you say something like this?" Nathan said. His gaze set on to the fox and waited for an answer.

"You're right Mr. Graham; this town is older than me. However, the way it looks today isn't comparable with the one I saw when I arrived here 32 years ago. But let's not fight about something like this Mr. Graham and ask a citizen who should know this . . . Em, would you kindly enlighten us?" Adrian said and turned with a grin to Emilia, still with a red dot on her chest and forehead.

Everyone could see that the elder vixen was still in considerable pain but at least her bleeding had stopped. Heishiro tried his best to keep Emilia on her feet, but it became more and more difficult for the old Serow to hold her, with every minute that passed. Emilia's words came slow and with heavy grunting from her muzzle.

"He . . . He is right . . . The town back then was different . . . Ahh . . . Everyone build, lived and did as they wanted . . . There were almost no rules and especially no ecosystems." Emilia said, and everyone recognized that her talking made her serious problems, something that worried Patty even more.

"Thank you, Darling," Adrian replied, his voice full of mockery and his face filled with a malicious grin.

" . . . Go to hell, Adrian." Emilia pressed the words through her clenched teeth and looked back to the ground, trying to endure the pain in her dislocated arm.

A short chuckle and the fox turned back to the mammals in front of him, who waited for his explanation.

"I gave this town what it needed . . . Order, rules, the ecosystems, the precincts . . . Well, Owl and I built this. We were the minds and paws, which formed this city from out of the shadows. The mammals came to this town with the dream of being free and equal to each other, but they lived just how they always lived – in an ecosystem designed just for their needs. Mammals always believe they are so special but in reality, they aren't. They just overestimate their own existence. Pride and lies, this was all we needed to control them." Adrian said and looked into the eyes of Judy. What he said was difficult for her to accept and she declined it with every fiber of her body.

"That's a lie! Why should you do something like that . . . Why should you do anything for the mammals in this city? That makes no sense!" Judy shouted over the table and panted heavy. She didn't even recognize it, but again she was standing on the booth, her paws on the table supporting her in anger trembling body.

"We are not like Bellwether, Miss Hopps. We are not here to spread fear between predator and prey, we are here to reign, and the best emperor is the one you don't even notice." Adrian replied.

"But . . . But the town...," Judy began, but Adrian took over quickly, ". . . Is nothing but a golden cage. . . A dream for the ones who want to believe in it and a nightmare for those who look too closely . . . Don't tell me?"

For a short moment, Adrian's eyes spread wide open, almost in real excitement when he understood that not even the heroine of the city saw what he thought was so obvious. The result was that the loud laughter of Adrian Wilde echoed through the restaurant, but no one responded to it. Seconds of shame passed for Judy when she heard him laughing, she shouldn't feel guilty, but somehow she did and couldn't help it.

"Hahaha . . . You believed it! How disappointing Miss Hopps. Well, at least you see it now, right? A town surrounded by water, with limited access and all ecosystems divided through walls, only connected through tunnels and bridges . . . 'Divide et Impera,' an old idea, adopted by us to control this town and as you can see . . . it worked like a charm."

Judy's ears, which stood until now high up, sunk to the back of her head, glowing in a deep red but she tried to play it down and kept her eyes on her enemy, not showing any signs of her true feelings.

"If you have this town so well under your control, what do you need us for?" Judy said and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Miss Hopps, you may not believe it, but I am a very selfish mammal . . . just ask my wife. You see, I have enough of sharing this town with six other mammals, who believe they earned themselves a part of it, especially now where just one real opponent, in the form of a little shrew, is left. And here . . ." Adrian stopped and pointed with his paw one time at any mammal at the table, " . . . Here comes your part. I want that you attack the company, take some of their leaders down and arrest some of their workers. . . Weaken them or attack me and with that also the company . . . Or you and your 'team' just stay calm, do nothing and wait until I start to act . . . But I know you too well Miss Hopps . . . it is your very nature to fight injustice."

"How will you decide?" Adrian asked with a slight smile and ended his monologue. The words he spoke and these new ideas about the city sunk slowly into the mind of the mammals around him.

It was quiet in the restaurant, no one dared to speak up, and just the passing cars outside sounded into the room, showing that time still passed. Insecure glances were exchanged between Elliot, Nathan, Stella, and Patty. Nick sat back and just stared at his father as if he could kill with his gaze. Judy however, steadily looked to the fox in front of them and seemed only to wait for the right moment to react.

The wait was over for the grey bunny, without looking Judy stepped back onto the table, put her arms on her hips and looked down at the fox with no sign of fear in her eyes.

"If you think you can intimidate us, then forget it. Even if every little detail you told us right now is completely true, it will change nothing for me, and if you think I would attack just you or the company, you are dead wrong! Every criminal in this town will be persecuted and finally caught – you will be no exception." Judy said, her blue police uniform reinforced her words and made her appearance even more impressive, but she knew that the fox in front of her was nobody who would give in so quickly.

"Stubborn till the end, right Miss Hopps? Tse, even you can't keep on fighting forever without making compromises at some point." Adrian answered.

"I will never compromise, especially not to the likes of you!" Judy answered back. At this moment, also Adrian stood up from his seat and closed the one button of his suit jacket with his right paw.

"Very well, you don't seem to accept my kind offering Miss Hopps, so a declaration of war it will be then . . . but it seems you were left alone on the battlefield." Adrian began, but before he even could end his sentence, Nick stood already beside Judy, pointing with his gun towards his father. For the first time disappeared the amused face of Adrian Wilde, all that was left was the cold gaze at his son.

"Tse, please as if we would leave our commander alone... ., right guys?" Nick replied with his typical grin on his muzzle and his gun in both of his paws, pointing directly at the head of his father. Triggered by Nick's words, Nathan and Stella stood almost silently up from their seats and pulled out their guns.

"Right!" both predators said simultaneously.

Tired and slowly with a dropping mood, Adrian inspected the two new police Officers and probably tried to evaluate how dangerous they could be for him. For sure, he had more than enough reports about every mammal at this table, but Judy knew, that he was someone who only trusted himself and nobody else.

Even Patty couldn't sit still. Upon her feet, she grasped for the knife, pulled it out and held with a firm grip in her left paw, pointing like the others towards her father.

"If you think that I will ever bow in front of a mammal like you, then you should think again," Patty said, and an almost silent chuckle came from Emilia and Heishiro's direction. She didn't dare to take her gaze from Adrian, but if Judy made no mistake, she heard the words "Good girl" from that direction and couldn't suppress a smile, no matter who said it.

It was apparent that Adrian Wilde didn't expect so much resistance from the grey doe and her team. Maybe a little fight but not this. With the same tired gaze he already gave to Nathan and Stella, Adrian turned to Elliot.

"Mr. Anderson, you don't even have a weapon in your paw to threaten me, that is just a smartphone," Adrian said and kept looking at him.

Grinning replied Elliot to Adrian," Yeah, maybe your right geezer but you have no idea how much damage I can do with such a small thing. You know . . . information can create more damage than a knife or gun could ever do."

Three guns, one knife, and a smartphone pointed now at the mammal who called himself Kingfisher.

"That's it? Really, Miss Hopps? That is all you have, to face me?" Adrian said and turned his head slowly from one mammal to the next until he stopped at Judy again. With the last step, Adrian closed the gap between her and himself, standing now only inches apart from the grey doe.

So close to her, Judy saw how much he resembled Nick. The fur color, the eyes, his entire appearance, everything about this mammal made her shiver, but not in that excellent way, Nick could. He shouldn't see her fear or any of her friends.

"I had thirty-two years in this town to prepare myself for every possibility and enemy . . . And this bunch of freaks is all you got? I thought of the whole Precinct 1 or maybe even an ace up your sleeve, but right here I have to see, that there is nothing." Adrian began and leaned back to watch over the whole table in front of him. He began with Stella and started his own little conclusion, "I mean, what do we have here Miss Hopps? . . . A broken vixen from the north, known for her uncontrolled and aggressive behavior? Her whole life involved in some struggle, finally beaten up and excluded from the society up there? Or here . . . "

Stella snarled at him but didn't do more, he was done with her and with that Adrian turned to his right and looked now directly at Nathan.

". . . Or a lost wolf pup without a family, not knowing who he is or where he came from. Bullied his whole life for being a hybrid bastard and left alone over and over and over again . . . from everyone he loved . . . Are you sure this will not happen again?" Adrian said and ended with a small grin to Nathan but not even for a second lowered Nathan his gun or gave in to the words of the fox.

"I'm sure that it will not happen again and I will do everything to keep it that way," Nathan replied calm, his both paws around his gun.

"We will see . . . Then we have here Mr. Anderson. Someone with potential, a family with great ambitions and plans . . . But he decided to do the 'right' thing and helped this poor, little porcupine girl . . . love seems to make not just blind but also stupid." Adrian said and earned himself just a hateful look from Elliot. Patty knew that she would be the next target, but she could never be prepared for what was coming.

" . . . And then . . . We have the girl who never should have been born in the first place. Patricia Wilde." Adrian said and left an almost speechless crowd around him.

"Wha . . . What do you mean?" Patty asked in confusion and let her left paw slowly sink with the knife in it.

"Patty, don't listen to him! He's a liar . . . that's what he always was!" Nick said to his sister, but it was too late. The words were out.

Judy had seen many emotions from Patty, but right now, she couldn't say what the vixen felt or thought. The only thing that Judy saw was that with every word Adrian spoke, Patty became paler and even quieter.

"The moment I heard about the congenital heart disease from your mother, I knew what you are . . . Nothing but a biological failure, something I couldn't use and wouldn't need in my life. I wanted to get rid of you but thanks to your mother, you're still alive . . . and to judge from the look on your face, she never told you about it, right?" Adrian said. With trembling lips spoke Patty to her mother, who tried her best to concentrate.

"M-Mum is that true . . . He wanted to . . . get rid of me?" Patty said and waited for a reply, her muzzle cupped by one of her paws.

"Y-yes . . . But this was never an option for me, Patricia . . . Not even after the diagnosis. Not once." Emilia said and looked terrified to her daughter as if Patty could draw the wrong conclusions from this information and she did.

"S-so I'm the reason why he left. . . " Patty began, but Emilia interrupted her harshly "NO! You and Nicholas were never the reason for this. I was the one who forced him to leave the house, and I was the one who told him never to come back. Please, Patricia! I will try to explain everything as soon as I can…" Emilia shouted in a begging tone to her daughter and saw how she slowly nodded, but Patty was already profoundly hurt. All Emelia could do was damage reduction.

Right now, Judy would like nothing more than go over to Patty and hug her until she would make one of those stupid but also cute little jokes she and Nick always made, about how emotional bunnies are but she couldn't, not now.

With his cold gaze, he stood at the table and watched how tear after tear rolled down the cheeks of his own daughter. Deep down in Judy's heart, she believed every normal father, would by now, be almost broken to see his child in such a state but not this emotionless fox. All he did was to look at his own daughter with a scornful look.

"Pathetic, just as I thought."

"One more word to her and you'll regret it, old man!" Stella shouted back at him, and a deep growl escaped her muzzle, as she stepped slowly in front of Patty.

A slight smile, that was all that Stella got from him as a response and Judy saw that it made Stella even angrier.

Moreover, just in the same way as Stella wanted to protect her vixen, Patty leaned onto Stella's back for comfort herself. Judy saw her in many moods but never like this. Until now, Patty took everything that was thrown at her leisurely but not this time. This time was different; this was her father who didn't want her and who said those things right into her face without holding back anything he thought or felt.

". . . And finally my greatest failure until now . . . Nicholas." Adrian said and looked with a sharp gaze at his son. Uncommon for him, Nick remained silent.

"The day your mother told me about the heart disease of your sister, was also the day you failed your final test," Adrian said and leaned with his paws on the table to come closer to the gun and his son.

"I have not the slightest idea, what you're talking about, old-timer," Nick replied, the fur on his neck stood up, and Judy could feel that he was scared. Calm and almost whispering continued Adrian to talk.

"You forgot it son? The training I gave you and all the things I taught you? How sad, I never saw a four-year-old mammal in my life who could disassemble and reassemble a gun faster. Quick fingers were always one of your gifts. However, Son, tell me . . . Did you also forget him? Mr. Korsakoff? Your final test?" Adrian asked and watched Nick closely and there it was a small and uncontrolled tic of Nick's left eye maybe not even noticed from Nick himself, " . . . No . . . It's all still there in your head, you suppress the memories, but one day, they will all come back and then you will know what you did." Adrian explained and waited for another reaction, but Nick was again in control of his facial expression, all carefully hidden behind his mask.

"You never trained me . . . You're lying." Nick replied calmly.

"Really? How can you be so sure Nicholas, if you can't remember what happened?" The elderly fox asked smiling and leaned even further towards his son.

"Do you want to know what happened back then? Do you want to know what you almost did to him?" Adrian said, but Judy interrupted this torture, even if that meant for Judy to take some risks and by now, she knew she should have done this sooner, but she wanted to hear what Adrian Wilde had to say.

"ENOUGH!"

Judy shouted directly at the older fox in front of her, prepared for what would come she held her gun again in her paws, ready to step into action.

"You did enough damage for one day Mr. Wilde, it's time to stop," Judy said.

"What do you want to do Miss . . . ," Adrian asked but was interrupted by Judy, who gave out her orders to the surrounding police officers.

"Nick, aim for his left shoulder. Stella, you take the right side. Nathan, you will step out of the booth and aim for his feet. You wait for my signal!" Judy commanded as if she never did anything else in her life.

"YES!" All three predators replied just how they had learned it during the last six months in the academy.

Again began Adrian to speak and still should his sentence find no end,"Miss Hopps, what did you plan . . . "

"Emilia! Heishiro! As soon as I say drop, you two will let yourself fall to the ground, try to stay covered and go somewhere safe." Judy shouted over to the two mammals. For the first time, since her husband had attacked her, hushed something like a smile over the face of Emilia Wilde.

"We got it . . . But Judy, don't worry about us!" Emilia replied.

"Can't-do Emilia, you two are my number one concern, but I see right now no other choice but to repay the threat to end this situation," Judy explained and hoped that Emilia would understand her behavior.

"All right, do as you think," Emilia replied and gave in to the concerns of the grey doe.

"I give you this one chance to surrender, or we will take you down here and now!" Judy said to Adrian who still leaned with his arms on the table.

"You wouldn't do that," Adrian said.

"You have no idea what we are capable of," Judy replied stern. The fox smiled about his owns words and how they were thrown back at him.

Still smiling Adrian closed his eyes and waited.

'Don't let him make you unsure what to do; you have him here. A retreat, for now, that is what you want from him, and you have to protect them, those are your main goals.' Judy thought and she knew to arrest him right now was nothing but wishful thinking. She had the feeling that he was no one to take easy, even then if just a part of the things he said were right.

'Okay, start at five and then give the command.' Judy thought. She began internally to count but didn't let her eyes from the fox.

'Five!'

'Four!'

No sign of movement in the fox before him.

'Three! Dammit, why isn't he doing anything?' Judy thought, and panic started slowly to creep up her back.

'Two!'

As if he had finally made a decision, Adrian raised his arms, with the paw pads towards the table and showed them in played devotion.´ Judy could see a huge scar that went over Adrian's left paw pad and however did this to him; the mammal had Judy's gratitude.

"You got me, Miss Hopps. I give up, and with that, you won. How does that sound?" Adrian asked and still smiled.

"Release the hostages, then I would be more than happy," Judy replied, and to her surprise he did as she wanted. Like before, he raised his left arm and pushed two buttons. With a calm voice, he gave his orders. There was no response, just a result.

"Abort. Back to HQ. The report about this mission will be secret to the other departments," Adrian said and turned around as if his work here was done. There came no response from the other side of his communication device.

"They don't seem to respond," Judy said and still held tight to her gun but could see after some seconds that the red dots on Emilia and Heishiro were gone. Relieved, the vixen sank together with the Serow to the ground. There, they had finally the chance to recover from this threat.

"Of course not, this is just a sender and the others have only a receiver . . . Before you ask, Miss Hopps, no they do not need to answer. My orders are absolute. No question or response needed."

He took the chair; he used before and stood it back by the table it belonged. For the last time, Adrian turned himself to the group, around it stood the slightly relived Police Officers with lowered guns," Despite the little ruckus I made, I wish all of you still a good day and a happy little celebration."

Slowly he went towards the door.

"Well done Judy," Nick whispered to her and gave her the kindest smile he could make for her and which was despite the stress, still optimistic. Judy saw this from the corner of her eyes and replied to his gesture with a smile. Slowly but continuously, a feeling emerged from the depths of her unconscious mind. This feeling turned quickly into an idea and this idea finally into a voice that whispered in the back of her mind what she already knew but couldn't admit.

'That was too easy. It should feel like a victory, but it doesn't . . . What is wrong here?'

At the entrance of the restaurant, Adrian laid a paw on the door handle but didn't push it down. He just stopped and began to speak.

"Miss Hopps, before I go, can I ask you a question?"

"Ask," Judy replied short and felt now even stronger that something wasn't right at all. He played again with her, and she didn't like it.

"Do you know a rabbit with the name Jason Hopps? Brown fur, brown eyes, white muzzle way down his throat? A former member of the Bunnyburrow High school Track and Field team?" Adrian explained and even when Judy couldn't see his face, she knew that he was grinning right now.

"Yes . . . Jason is my older cousin, and he lives here in Zootopia for some years. Why? What have you done?!" Judy asked in a loud voice, and the only thing she could feel right now was pure anger and hate towards the fox, who knew something about her family. Something he shouldn't know.

Softly, Nick laid a paw on her shoulder. With a calm and comforting voice, he spoke to her," Judy don't listen to him. He wants to fool you."

But it was too late, Judy wanted to listen; she wanted to hear what Adrian Wilde had to say. At this moment she couldn't even feel Nick's paw or anything else around her, all she could feel was hate towards this fox.

"What I did? Well, I would say my job, and I will give you an excellent last advice Miss Hopps because I don't know how much one life matters in such a huge family like yours but maybe a funeral would be a good idea to commemorate him." Adrian said.

"NO! . . . NOOO!"

Something in Judy snapped and forgotten was her training, forgotten was all her self-control and forgotten were her friends and family around her. In her mind raged just hate and the wish to beat this mammal in front of her until nothing remained.

In the moment, where she wanted to dash forward, two strong arms wrapped around her body, one around her stomach and the other around her right wing, so she couldn't use the gun to do anything stupid. The thought that she had a lethal weapon in her paw was long gone.

"NICK! LET ME GO! HE KILLED HIM!" Judy shouted at her fox, but Nick didn't let go of her. Comforting he whispered.

"Judy, don't fall for his tricks . . . You are better than that."

Hot tears ran down Judy's cheeks, as she screamed and tried to escape Nick's grip. If Judy had a clear mind and control over herself, Nick would be no problem to overcome for her but right now were his usually so gentle paws too much for her to handle. Every mammal in the room besides Mr. Wilde watched in shock, how the struggle between the couple continued.

"NOO! LET GO . . . I WANT TO BEAT HIM!"

"That's what he wants Judy! Don't do what he wants . . . It would be a huge mistake . . . Please believe me," Nick said, and he felt how Judy slowly relaxed in his arms.

"But . . . But, we have to do something . . . anything?" Judy said.

"We will, Carrots . . . We will," Nick replied. Trembling but no longer on edge to running towards Adrian, Judy turned around towards Nick and gave in to the comfort and safety of his embrace. Her head on his chest and one arm around her body and holding her head with his right paw, Nick glared over Judy's shoulder towards his father.

"Don't forget, you 'heroes of Zootopia,' this is a war, and in it, there will be casualties on both sides. Never forget to win means to sacrifice and to win against me, means to sacrifice everything you have." Adrian said.

"Don't worry, we will remember what happened today," Nick replied and wanted to draw Judy closer to him, but just at the moment he tried to close his arms around her, she slipped right through them and walked with tears all over her face to the edge of the table. The shock that paralyzed her was gone but the anger of the grief. Adrian, however, was ready to go and end this meeting for now.

"Wait!" Judy shouted over to him.

Just Adrian's head turned slightly back to the group; his left green eye stared at Judy.

"We will not give in to the likes of you! And before you go, this group of mammals is maybe all we have, but it is also all we need to bring you down!" Judy shouted, and for some seconds there was only silence until Adrian said his last words to the group before he vanished through the door like a shadow. It was an old poem, and Judy knew the words.

"We will not give in to the likes of you! Never!" Judy shouted, and for some seconds there was only silence until Adrian said his last words to the group before he vanished through the door like a shadow. It was an old poem, and Judy knew the words.

 _"And on the pedestal, these words appear:_

 _My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;_

 _Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!_

 _Nothing beside will remain."_


	30. Down in the Past

** Author's Note **

Hello dear reader of 'Two of a Kind'

I know that I talk just randomly to you, this is mainly because I want that the focus is on the story and nothing else. What I want to announce is that I will take a hiatus until the end of September. In this time, I will rework all old chapters(grammar and spelling) and also work on the second Arc which will have the name 'Operation Foxcatcher.'

I know this first Arc was already long and winding but the second one will be much shorter and also more intense. I also wanted to remind you that I said that this will be a long story. Expect at least two million words and over the time, maybe even some side stories. Last but not least I want to thank every reader, every follower and everyone who wrote a comment under my story, it is always encouraging for me to write on and continue the story.

Also! As soon as I'm done with the rework, I will upload a commission, on which I worked with Qalcove. The image will contain all main characters of my story and also one which is until now not in the cast. I hope you will like it.

Ansem

** Author's Note

 **Nick**

"Nicholas, there should be . . . auhhh . . . A bottle of cheaper Scotch on the right side of the cabinet. I think you should have no problem finding the right one." Emilia said and sat with the help of Heishiro on a chair nearby their table, the old Serow disappeared afterward for a moment into the kitchen. With worried gazes looked Nathan and Elliot to the elderly vixen but remained silent, not knowing what they should say in such a situation.

Both young vixens were gone for the moment, Patty to freshen herself a little bit up and Stella because leaving her partner right now alone was no option at the moment.

"I'm on it, Mum," Nick said and searched through the cabinet under the counter, which was filled with all different sorts of liqueurs but mostly with types that had a considerably high number of percent written on it and an even higher value to collectors. Finally between a relatively new bottle of twelve-year-old Glenmorangie and an eighteen-year-old Glenlivet, found Nick what he was searching for, a still corked bottle of 'Isle of Skye.' The name on the bottle made him smile for a second before he began to think about the value of it.

'This is still thirty dollars of Scotch you want to drink here Mum, but I guess it is the cheapest alcohol you have here in the restaurant . . . well directly after the disinfection alcohol for the restrooms, I guess,' Nick thought and stood the bottle for a moment on the counter.

"Ice?"

"Nobody with a hint of good taste drinks Scotch on ice, Son. We're not savages." Emilia said and tried to smile, but the pain in her arm was still too strong, and so she dropped her performance as fast as she could. With rolling eyes leaned Nick on the counter and replied, "For your neck, Mum. Not the Scotch."

"Ohh . . . Then I would love to have some ice . . . For my neck," Emilia replied and leaned back in her chair. Quick-handed put Nick some ice from the ice tray of the bar, in a towel and knotted all four ends together.

The Scotch, the ice and six tumbler glasses were ready on the service tray that Nick had prepared and with them, he walked back to the table. Emilia frowned as she saw the glasses on the service tray and with a questioning gaze, she looked up at Nick and waited.

"Yes, yes, I know. You usually drink Scotch just from nosing glasses, Mum, but I thought that we could do the whiskey tasting on another day and concentrate for this time just on the alcohol," Nick replied with a smile. After discussing the pros and cons of this 'crime against good taste' in her mind, Emilia sighed and gave finally up.

"Maybe you are right, Nicholas," Emilia said and took with her intact left paw, one of the glasses from the tray and stood it right in front of her, "Would you kindly pour me a glass?"

"Sure, Mum," Nick replied and opened the Scotch for her. With his right paw, he held the bottle at the bottom and leaned the bottleneck on his left forearm, this way he had perfect control over it. But just as he wanted to pour the Scotch in, Emilia laid her left paw on the bottle and looked up to her son.

"Are . . . Are you okay, Nicholas? How do you feel after hearing . . . Well . . . all of this from him?" Emilia asked, and the concern in her voice pierced right through his heart. Actually, Nick didn't want to think about it, but he guessed that there was no way around. He exhaled deeply before he started to talk.

"I feel anger . . . And sadness . . . But mostly, I feel shame that I searched all these years for this monster . . . You were right, Mum. When I stormed with twelve years out of the door because you said to me that it is no use to search for him and that the truth wouldn't help me at all, I thought it was just a lie to keep me away from him. It wasn't, and I was a fool to believe it all these years." Nick said and looked down into the yellow eyes of his mother, and he felt even worse when he realized with which warmth and love she looked back at him, Nicholas Wilde, the troublemaker, and wicked son, who just run away.

"I'm sorry, Mum, for all the stupid things I did in the past that made you worried," Nick said and chuckled about his own thought, ", . . . And I'm sorry for all the things that I'll do in the future that will make you worry. I guess you even have now more mammals to worry about."

"I think I can take it, because I know whatever you do from here on, a little doe will watch over your actions and lead you to do the right thing. By the way where is our little fearless leader?" Emilia asked and looked confused around her but couldn't locate Judy anywhere in the restaurant.

"She . . . she wanted to be alone for a while." Nick said.

Right now after all the events of the day, Nick felt incredible tired. He could sleep for a whole week and he knew he lwould still be tired when he awoke. He was sure of it. Everything until now, the morning together with Judy, the short celebration with the team and the ceremony . . . All of it felt so far away as if it all happened in another life but not just some hours or even minutes ago.

When Emilia started to speak, Nick snapped finally out of his daydreams and looked again down to his mother, who smiled slightly at him.

"You shouldn't let her think too long, I heard bunnies become depressed if they overthink and don't get a kiss from time to time. But for now, please pour me a drink before your sister returns from the restroom, and relocates my shoulder. I want to feel as less pain as possible during this procedure." Emilia replied and held with her left paw the big tumbler glass to Nick.

"Of course, Ma'am," replied Nick with a smug grin and filled half of the glass with the amber-colored liquid. Emilia started immediately to wave the glass in her paw and emptied it after some rounds in one gulp. Her face relaxed visibly, and after a deep exhale she replied," . . . Ah, that was what I needed," and leaned back in her chair.

"What is with you two? Elliot? Nathan? A drink?" Nick asked, but Elliot shook just his head and continued tapping on his phone. He was apparently searching or doing something that went far behind Nick's comprehension of technology, but Elliot was mad, and he tended in such a situation to do anything. Just to have the feeling of not being powerless.

Elliot didn't seem to be in the mood for a drink, but Nathan was. As Nick turned his gaze to Nathan, the black wolf needed not long to accept the offer.

"Not too much please . . . Thank you," Nathan said in his typical and maybe too kind way, while he observed with his blue and green colored eye, how Nick poured the alcohol into his glass. Just a thumb width of Scotch, that was what Nick gave Nathan for a start.

"Here we go pale," Nick said and gave him back his glass.

"Do . . . I have to do something?" Nathan asked carefully and looked around him. Emilia smiled and started to explain.

"Take it in your dominant paw, wave it, smell it, take a small zip from it but don't swallow immediately and take some time to taste the different flavors," Emilia said and watched now with a little smile on her lips, how Nathan would like it. The elderly Vixen was much more relaxed now, and Nick gave the Scotch most of the credit for this.

Very carefully, to not waste any Scotch, Nathan waved the glass in his paw and lifted it slowly to his nose. The first tentative sniffing and Nathan didn't pull his head back in awe, he seemed to be okay with it. He took the first zip from it and stood the glass back on the table.

" . . . I . . . Like it. I never thought I would, but somehow I do." Nathan exclaimed. While the black wolf slowly drunk what was given to him, Nick had already refilled the glass of his mother. Not as full as before but with enough in it, to not hear any complaints from her for being too protective over her drinking behavior. Today she could drink as much as she wanted.

"Well, then Nathan, never forget. Only dead fish swim with the stream. Cheers!" Emilia said, bumped her glass against the one of Nathan and nipped on her drink. The at first confused black wolf did the same and smiled at Emilia's quote.

Unnoticed by the group at the table, Heishiro had dressed in his brown jacket and an also brown flat cap. Ready to leave the crowd, he stood stern, in front of the table and talked mostly to Emilia, his voice was excusing and severe. Something Nick wasn't used from the old Serow.

"I have to excuse myself, Emilia, but I have to take care of some serious business, and I can't let this wait. The food is prepared, I think the kids can help themselves with the drinks, and I will come tomorrow a bit earlier to clean up the mess." Heishiro exclaimed and looked to the elderly vixen. Both mammals were watching each other tightly until Emilia broke the eye contact and exhaled deeply.

"Fine, you are dismissed," Emilia said. Heishiro nodded slightly and also made a little bow before her. Quickly, he turned towards the door, but with half of the way behind him, Emilia shouted towards him, "You will tell me, what this is all about, right old Serow?"

Heishiro didn't turn around, he stood still for some seconds and had his gaze upon the ceiling, thinking about his response to his boss and friend.

"Of course, my dear . . . But not now." Heishiro said, and Nick could already smell the scent of secrets hanging in the air. Too often he was involved in such things, but just now with Judy, he understood how less he liked it. Secrets meant for almost three things trouble, more trouble, and death. Especially the last one was something he always tried to avoid, but he had the feeling that this would be more and more difficult in the future. Without any more words, Heishiro left the restaurant.

"I think I will go and check on my bunny," Nick said and poured another thumb full of Scotch into two new glasses. With it in his paws, Nick left the table and walked towards the kitchen. On his way, he also passed by a little floor with elegant chairs and a huge mirror, which was the entrance to the female and male restrooms.

Nick saw from the angle of his eyes some movement on the floor which was reflected by the huge mirror. For a moment Nick thought about walking on but after thinking about this for a moment won his curiosity over his manners. He wanted to know how his sister was doing. Even when she didn't always notice him, but Nick was often around her, mostly checking if she was doing fine. Nick knew that she was good on her own, but he simply couldn't help himself, she was his sister, after all.

Patty left the restroom at a fast pace, directly behind her was Stella who followed but looked clearly unhappy about something.

" . . . P-Patty, I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that . . . You know, I don't want to pressure you. It . . . It was just what I felt right now, and I thought it made you feel better and . . . And . . . " Stella said and looked desperate after Patty. The young red vixen stopped but didn't immediately turn around.

"Don't be Sorry, Snowflake, I just remembered that Mum is still suffering, that's why I ran out. I just thought about me, and I totally forgot her and the injury he did to her . . . or Uncle Heishi." Patty said.

"Right now, you are important and they have to wait . . . " Stella said.

"No, I'm not," Patty said, and a dark smile appeared on her face," Think about it, just moments ago my father, which I never saw before in my whole life, told me that he wanted to get rid of me. Four weeks before the birth date . . . That's not even an abortion that would be murder! I was alive, but he didn't care!" Patty shouted the last words and turned her face away, to not show Stella any more tears. Patty's smile was gone, and Stella seemed to feel that there was much more grief hidden.

A heartwarming smile spread above Stella's face, it was the one Nick saw just on her whenever she was with Patty and which he guessed was reserved only for her vixen and no one else. Carefully, she took Patty's chin in her right paw and turned her gaze back in her direction. It didn't take long until their eyes found it each other. With her left paw, Stella wiped the last tears from Patty's face.

"Hey . . . No crying, Patty. You're too pretty to shed so many tears." Stella said and looked directly into Patty's peridot-colored eyes. A loud sniff and a chuckle came from Patty before she replied.

"I know! I mean . . . Look at me I'm normally gorgeous and not so damn whiny . . . I'm sorry. Usually, it's me who takes care of others who are not strong enough . . . But. . . but this time it seems that I'm the one, who falls apart." Patty said half-laughing and half-crying to Stella. Her muffled crying echoed through the little floor directly to Nick.

It was rare for Patty to cry, but every time she did, it almost broke Nick's heart and every sob and every cry, strengthen just his decision to make his father pay for what he did.

Patty, however, tried hard to control her tears but it was no good. They came, and this time she wasn't strong enough to hold them back or crack a joke about it. All the questions that piled up until now in her mind were released, and she couldn't do anything against it.

"Why!? Why did he want to get rid of me? And why does it hurt so much? I know that he is a monster, a killer who deserves to get locked up in jail forever. It's not logical, so why do I care what he thinks? Why is that all so goddamn complicated and frustrating?" Patty cried out, and without noticing, her legs gave in, and she dropped slowly to the floor, but the red vixen should never touch the ground. Stella was there and caught her before anything bad could happen. Embraced by the arctic vixen stood both mammals in the empty floor and held each tight. Stella stroked with her left paw constantly over Patty's head, while her right arm was wrapped around her back.

"Ssshhh, it's okay. You know, even if he is a monster, in the first instance he is still your father and with that one of the reasons, why you are standing right now in front of me. Come on, let it out, my Love . . . everything." Stella said and for a moment Nick, who was still eavesdropping on the two, was sure that Patty wouldn't say more. He knew her, she would put on her best smile and pretend that everything was fine. Just like she ever did.

This time, Nick was wrong and like a waterfall began again a lot of hidden feelings and thoughts to emerge from Patty. Her voice every now and then interrupted by a sniff or some more tears, that run down her cheek.

"Mum never told me about him, and now I know why. I wouldn't have told anybody either . . . Geez, I wish I could forget who he is and what he said," Patty explained, and her crying became less and less with every minute that passed.

"And . . . And I would feel wonderful if he was just some deadbeat or some loser or what do I know . . . But this . . . This is just grotesque. I-I mean if he is really this monster . . . What am I . . . As his daughter? And . . . why should somebody like you, stay with somebody like me?" Patty asked, and with her sudden realization as what she could be seen by others, she wanted to leave the gentle embrace of Stella.

"It's fine . . . you don't have to be with someone like me, Stella." Patty said. The red vixen tried now even more to escape Stella's embrace, but it was no good . . . Stella didn't let her. Slowly, she rose her gaze to the arctic vixen and replied again the words she had already said, "Didn't you listen . . . it's fine . . . just let go of me."

"NO!" Replied Stella with unshakable certainty.

Struck by her words, Patty raised her head to Stella and looked into eyes that were already fixed on her.

"I said no! I will not let you go, not now where I found the right mammal for me!" Stella said and was now also close to shedding some tears," I don't care who your father is because you're not him, you are Patricia Wilde, the kindest, nicest and most enthusiastic mammal I ever get to known and what's even more important . . . ," Stella said and broke for a moment her explanation to take Patty's whole face in her two paws," . . . You are the mammal I love, and I want to share my life with . . . you and nobody else."

"But . . . but my father . . ." Patty said meekly.

Laughing, Stella replied, "I give a goddamn rats ass about your father! You are not him! You are you, and that is everything that counts for me." Stella said and smiled down at Patty, "The reason why I joined Judy, Nick, Elliot and Nathan to fight 'The Company' was YOU and nothing else. I don't want to search anymore through the whole wide world because I already found what I was looking for . . . And that is you."

With trembling lips and this time tears of joy in her eyes, stood the young red vixen in the middle of the floor and knew for some seconds not what to say or do. As soon as Patty was over her little shock, she swung her arms around Stella's neck and embraced her arctic vixen again. With a light force pulled Patty her vixen to her muzzle until their lips finally met. The kiss was long and passionate, almost as if Patty had met her vixen after a long time of separation. Stella however, at first a bit overwhelmed by the sudden affection, responded in the same way and wrapped her arms around her little vixen and enjoyed the kiss with every second more. Their tongues were embracing each other as if they would dance and had never done anything else before. The dance between both was no slow one, more a Tango which both of them didn't want to ever stop.

Nick who leaned against the wall and watched until now, lowered his gaze. Even the fox had his limits, and this level of intimacy was just for the two of them and no one else to share.

When he thought about the two, he felt that it would be a crime to separate those two lovers, now or anytime in the future. It was almost as if fate decided to give Stella and Patty, precisely what they needed as an exchange for all the hard times through which they already went. But Nick also feared that the tough times were not even here. Even if Judy was right with what she said and everyone would become what he or she deserved, Nick wasn't so sure about this – he learned something different from life.

Two kinds of colored tails wagged over the floor, red and white, maybe they felt that someone was waiting for them but with every second passing, their tails get slower and slower until they had finally stopped. Patty separated from Stella, but her tongue went, for now, one last time half teasingly and half caressing over Stella's black nose, and the arctic vixen knew the old Patty was back. Giggling, Patty looked up to Stella and was at peace with herself.

"Thank you, I knew you could fix me, Stella." Patty almost whispered and pressed herself against Stella's chest.

"There is nothing to thank me for . . . but I guess you should freshen yourself up a bit, Darling." Stella replied and gave Patty a last kiss on her forehead, which triggered another wave of giggles from Patty.

"So bad? Ahh, maybe you're right, just go ahead, I will soon follow."

"Alright," Stella replied.

With great restraint, left Patty the warm embrace of her vixen and walked back towards the restroom, just to vanish some seconds later behind the door for the females.

A deep sigh escaped Stella's muzzle before she started to move in Nick's direction with her paws in her pockets and her gaze on the floor.

Nick knew what would come and already started to smile but waited with speaking until Stella was right beside him.

"Well done, Snowflake," Nick said and as he assumed fell Stella in shock almost against the wall but could hold herself. Her eyes now fixed on the grinning fox.

"Geez Nick! Are you crazy or do you want to kill me with a heart attack?" Stella asked and pushed herself from the wall, fixing her officer uniform. When Stella was about correcting her tie, she finally looked at Nick and asked," Wait, how long are you standing there?"

"Long enough to know that you seem to be an amazing kisser, Snowflake," Nick replied grinning and watched how Stella's inner ears turned red.

"Idiot . . . And don't call me Snowflake . . . That's Patty's name for me." Stella replied poutily.

"Fine as you wish, Snowball, here for you," Nick said and held the glass in his left paw up to her.

"For . . . Me?" Stella asked confused.

"Of course for you, that's Mum's last resort if you need a high percentage of joy to make your day better or like in our case less painful. However don't worry, it's still delicious, Mum doesn't buy garbage." Nick said and with a grateful smile took Stella the glass.

"Thanks," Stella replied.

"OH, no, no, noo. I have to thank you, Stella, for taking care of my sister." Nick said.

Satisfied with the drink in her paw, Stella leaned against the wall behind her and took a deep sniff of the alcohol in her paw. Not long and the first sip followed.

"I love her Nick, isn't it normal that I would do everything for her that I can?" Stella replied and smiled down into her drink.

"Heh, I guess you're right, it's just . . . You know I watched over Patty since she was born. I was every day in the hospital to see how she was doing as a little cub, I watched her in school so that she is safe, even after I . . . Well dropped out . . . Damn, I even sat one whole year almost behind her in the university to keep an eye on her . . . . And I almost never interfered because I always wanted that she was doing her thing, but when I see you two, I wished you could have met sooner . . .However, maybe that's a thing of the past now . . . anyhow I need to find my bunny." Nick said and made his first step towards the kitchen.

Lost in her own thoughts, Stella looked in her drink and finally started to speak," Nick?"

"Yes?"

"Would you ever stop watching after her?" Stella asked and looked finally up from her glass and directly into his curious green eyes. A smile spread over his muzzle.

"No . . . Never, I don't think that I could this. After all, Patty is my little sister and always will be, and I as her big brother have a duty to look after her . . . But I also think that she is with you in good paws." Nick said and winked to Stella before he entered the kitchen. The arctic vixen chuckled about his behavior, emptied her glass in one gulp and went back to their table.

Nick passed by the half-dark kitchen, where on one of the steel surfaces still stood the whole food, that Heishiro had prepared for them. It consisted of a massive plate of sushi, which was also Heishiro's specialty and two salads, one for Judy and one Elliot.

"Heh, I guess nobody is feeling like eating right now," Nick said into the darkness of the kitchen and went on. On his way, he passed the staircase up to, his mother's office and the locker room, the storage room and stood finally in front of the door to the greenhouse. Nick knew what he wanted to tell Judy, but it wouldn't be easy for him. Lying to her would never be easy for him.

With dedication, he pushed the door handle down and was instantly surrounded by the heat of a tropical summer night. Nothing in here had changed, it was still like back then. A lot of colorful flowers for the tables, a small orange and a lemon tree for the most needs of a restaurant, aromatic plants and hundreds of butterflies that were swarming through the warm air of the greenhouse. The smell of the many herbs was so intense that Nick was not able to identify the unique scent of his partner, but he could feel that she was someone nearby.

"Well, then we will play a round of hide-and-seek, heh Carrots?" Nick said to himself and went on.

He hadn't to go far, because Judy kneed right under the lemon tree, in the second half of the greenhouse and the moment he saw her, his heart made a little extra skip. A smile flashed for a moment over his face, it was some of those you couldn't control because you were just happy at that moment. Anyhow, More precisely, she was in front of a ceramic bowl, which was filled with some fruits, that were cut into pieces and which served as an extra source of food for the butterflies. As Nick came closer to his bunny, he saw that there was an orange and black colored butterfly sitting on the tip of Judy's finger, that she held directly over the bowl. Maybe Nick's sense of smell was not the best in here, but Judy's hearing was. She heard him even before

"They are beautiful, Nick . . ." Judy said in a meek voice and watched how the insect spread and closed its wings.

"You know, the one on your fingertip is called a Monarch . . . It was one of the ones that Patty and I picked once for the greenhouse and which are still here, pretty much like Mum . . . wait let me show you something cool . . . may I?" Nick asked and held his paw over to Judy, to take her left one. Right then, the Monarch on her fingertip flew away and landed not far above her, on a leave of the lemon tree.

With a light smile on her muzzle, gave Judy Nick her left paw. Nick took a piece of orange from the bowl of fruits and pressed it out over Judy's paw. Curious and not really sure what Nick was up to, Judy observed him.

"Nick . . . what?" Judy asked, but Nick could silence her with a smile. Her complete paw was now drenched in orange juice and terrible sticky.

"I don't know if I would call that 'cool' but it . . . " Judy wanted to respond but was in the middle of the sentence interrupted by a dozen of butterflies that flew right now just to her or better her paw, that was smelling like a fresh orange.

For a short time, there was even something like curiosity when she looked at the dozen of butterflies on her paw and the other three or four dozen that was still flying around her and Nick. Judy watched her paw closely, and how it became more and more a landing area for smaller animals, that took the juice from Judy's fur.

"It tickles?" Judy said, and a little giggle escaped her muzzle.

"Don't worry, Carrots, those are eager little cleaners. Your paw will be as good as new, in no time." Nick explained and was right. After some minutes began the first butterflies going back to their daily routine and flew back through the greenhouse, to find new sources of food. After the last insect left Judy's paw, she clenched it and felt that it was quite clean. The joy from minutes ago about the butterflies and Nick who showed her this vanished and all that was left, was a stern face. For another minute stared Judy just at the remaining insect in the bowl of fruits before her.

"He played with us and that the whole time, Nick. Tse, I was so dumb. . . The moment he entered the restaurant he already knew how this confrontation would end . . . Even the things he told us, all of them were obvious, but I couldn't see them because I was blinded by this town." Judy said, but eagerly Nick wanted to disagree.

"Judy, that's not . . .," Nick said but was interrupted by Judy who laid her paw on Nick's forearm and looked deep into his eyes, " No Nick! No! You were right. From the very beginning, you wanted to tell me that. Do . . . Do you remember that day, where we both were on that funfair, and you won that stuffed fox for me?"

A smile appeared on Nicks' face, while he sat beside his bunny on the warm ground, "Do you really think, I could ever forget one of the best days in my life, Carrots? With you in your blue dress and just us two in that gondola watching the sunset? No, those moments are forever burned into my mind."

Judy smiled as a response back to her fox and took his paw into her own. The moment her grey paw embraced with his dark red one, he felt instantly who this sensation of warmth spread from the place where she touched over his whole body.

"You have no idea, what those memories mean to me and how important they are, Nick . . . But still, I was ready to believe this beautiful lie instantly, instead of listening to the painful truth, you wanted to present to me. I was so sure to know how this city works, but I couldn't be further from the truth." Judy said and wrapped her free right arm around her legs. Without saying a word, Nick wrapped his right arm around Judy. Worried, he looked down at the little grey doe and waited for her to continue her thoughts.

"He just came here to provoke and mock us . . . All of you could stand your ground against him but not I . . . And, now? Jason is dead, and I failed as a leader . . . What do I even thought, what I could accomplish? Maybe, I'm really nothing more than a dumb bunny . . . Tse, a bunny who could lead a pack of predators . . . It even sounds ridiculous if you speak it out loud," Judy said, her voice becoming weaker with every word she spoke until it was nothing more than a whisper.

"Carrots? That is not really what you think? We needed you . . . Heck, what do I say, we still need you and now more than ever! I, Nathan, Stella, and Patty; we were all paralyzed and didn't even know what to do in this kind of situation, but you stood up and faced him without any sign of fear! Isn't that what a leader should do? You gave the orders that forced him to retreat! Maybe this confrontation wasn't perfect, who cares? I know we will learn from it and next time you will beat the crap out of this bastard! That's for sure, or my middle name isn't Piberius!" Nick said with the broadest grin, he could produce. Only now, Judy realized that Nick's face was right now so optimistic, that it even infected her face for a moment with a smile. Unfortunately, this mood shouldn't last long.

"But . . . But what is with Jason . . . He is probably . . . Dead. And I didn't even notice . . ." Judy replied, and she was again in the same emotional hole, from which she climbed just seconds ago. Nick enclosed Judy's left paw with both of his and looked directly at her before he started to speak.

"Judy, there is one thing you need to understand and always remember about my father. This mammal is a notorious liar, and he would have told you everything to provoke you. We have no evidence of what happened with Jason nor that he is dead."

"Do you think so?" Judy asked back, and Nick saw how a glance of hope returned to her amethyst eyes. This glance was everything he needed to go on with his lie, even if it would hurt him. Feeling the old familiar sting near his heart, he continued to talk.

"Yes, Judy. I really think so . . . Maybe he was the only one they could find of the Hopps family, who lived in Zootopia or . . . Geez, I don't know. Maybe they just made the whole thing up? In the end, all he wanted was to provoke us, and yes, I have to admit, he was successful with it. BUT!" Nick said loud and received Judy's attention instantly.

"But . . .?" Judy asked, a bit startled by Nick's loud announcement.

"But, we will take him down, no matter what will happen and he will get the punishment he deserves, right Carrots?"

Nick said and gave his bunny a smirk, which the devil himself would have been proud of. Triggered by the enthusiasm of his partner, Judy jumped on her feet and clenched her fist in the conviction to know what she had to do. With a big smile on her face, Judy looked down at Nick with her ears up.

"You are right, Nick! You are totally right! What was I even thinking? We have to do something. No! I have to do something! Even if he had outsmarted us this time, which doesn't mean he can do this again . . . no, the next time we are prepared." Judy said in high spirits and walked in front of her fox from one side of the tree to the other, thinking about what she should do next. Instantly, Judy stopped in front of Nick and turned slowly to him. Her eyes fixed on him, she stepped in front of him and took his head in a loving embrace.

"Thank you, Nick. You know, it's moments like this, that show me how much you love me and well . . . I need you." Judy said and looked, after she took a step back, dreamy at her fox.

"I'm not that important, Carrots. Just a troublemaker, who has the luck to be with the best and most beautiful mammal in the world." Nick said and saw who the blood rushed through Judy's nose and inner ears. She wouldn't say anything, he knew that, but to understand what his words did to her, was payment enough for him. This time, Judy was just for some seconds paralyzed by this warm feeling which covered her whole body.

Slightly, Judy bowed down and gave Nick a kiss on the upper side of his snout. A tingling sensation went through Nick's whole body and triggered a puffed up foxtail, " Never forget Nick, You are mine." - "And I'm yours," Nick replied in a whispering voice, and both shared another quick kiss before they finally parted.

Nick, who finally stood up, fixed his Uniform at some points before he held the glass, eh carried until now with him, to Judy, "Mum thought, that it would be a good idea to give out some medicine after this . . . Well, let's call it a 'meeting.' It could be a bit strong for you . . ." but before Nick could add anything took Judy already the for her size large glass in her small bunny paw, held her muzzle for a short moment over it and drank the whole content in one big gulp. For a brief moment lost Nick every control over his facial expressions, his eyes went wide, and even his mouth stood a bit open.

Teasingly, Judy stepped in front of Nick and stroked with her left paw in one fluent movement from Nick's snout up to his cheek, closing his mouth during this process and waited for a reply, while she pressed Nick the glass into his right paw.

"It was good, not too strong . . . What's wrong Slick? Did you never saw a bunny drinking hard liquor?" Judy asked with a teasing smile.

Meekly, Nick spoke and still stared at Judy, still confused about the current situation "At least not my bunny . . . Do I have to be worried?"

"Not really . . . Let me guess, you want to hear the rest of the story right?" Judy asked and chuckled about Nick's behavior because for once the fox could not clearly state what he wanted even if she already knew what he wanted," . . . You don't have to, Carrots. . . but of course, I would appreciate your frankness and trust towards myself." Nick said and had finally returned to his normal facial expression.

Judy crossed her arms on her back and gave Nick a little nod towards the door. The fox instantly started to walk beside his bunny, and both watched how the butterflies flew around them while they walked towards the door of the greenhouse and talked about Judy's past.

"Okay first thing and please don't think too bad of me . . . But I always had a bottle of moonshine from my dad under the bed and. . . " Judy started to explain but Nick was already in his acting mode and this time was his role the one of the shocked boyfriend," Miss Hopps! Theft? I never thought of something like this from you . . . Did your parents know about that . . . Auuh." Nick moaned but smiled from the little punch that Judy gave him on his left upper arm.

"Jerk, . . . Jimmy was the one, who got every now and then a bottle for me . . . Well not exactly for me." Judy's explanation went on, by now they had almost reached the well in the middle of the greenhouse, it was nothing more than stone basin with a hand pump on one side to refill it, whenever it was needed. It was a beautiful place, and Nick remembered to sit down here with Patty and cool off their feet with some cold water.

"Okay Carrots, tell me, for what was the . . . mhm . . . Hard stuff?" Nick began. His gaze went to Judy, who had one of those nostalgic smiles on her bunny lips.

"It was for Jess, okay? And me . . . Somehow. . . I don't know, oh come on, don't look at me like this! . . . See, whenever she came back, late at night from one of her 'friends' or another party and was lovesick, I was there for her. We talked, we said how bad the world is, and over the years we killed some of this bottles, and I can tell you one thing for sure, she was a mess the next day . . . But not your bunny. Until today, not one hangover . . . ever!" Judy said and crossed her fingers, while she smiled at him teasingly. Nick just wanted to reply, when another voice forced his attention. It was Patty who sat smiling on a bench and seemed to wait for them. As soon as Judy saw Patty, she ran over to her, jumped on the court and hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry Patty, I should have done something sooner! I should have stopped him before he said those horrible things! I should…" Patty stopped the flow of talking that came way too fast from the grey doe, by putting one of her fingers on Judy's muzzle and ended the flood of information. Nick chuckled slightly over the view.

"It's fine, Judy. I think I needed to hear those things . . . Even if they were horrible, but at least I know now, what I am for him. The truth is always better than a lie, right Nick?" Patty said and looked with a dark gaze up to her brother who instantly understood what she meant, Judy who was still in a tight hug with Patty couldn't see what was going on around her.

'She was eavesdropping on us . . . Fair enough, I did the same thing, and maybe she saw me. Well, we should be even now, at least regarding eavesdropping on each other.' Nick thought and saw how Judy parted from Patty.

"Oh geez, Judy. You don't look good, all teary and messed up. . . You should take a little tour of the restrooms, my dear. What do you think Nick?" Patty said and gave Nick a specific look, one that he knew precisely and said just one thing, 'Play along, we need to talk.'

"You know me, I always say that it's important to give carrots, from time to time some water," Nick said and smiled.

"Oh Nick, bad joke . . . But you are probably right, I will go ahead . . . You two will follow, right?" Judy asked.

"Yeah sure." - "Definitely." Replied both siblings and watched how Judy left the greenhouse. Before she closed the door, waved Judy the last time over to them.

Nick said nothing at; first, he just sat beside his sister on the bench and looked up to the glass ceiling. He waited if maybe Patty wanted to begin but she seemed to wait for something.

"Well . . . "

"As much as I hate him, Nick . . . But you were the liar today . . . Not him," Patty said and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Tse . . . And how do you know that?" Nick asked, closed his eyes and laid his head on the back of the bench.

"Because I know that he didn't lie," Patty said. Nick who was now slightly annoyed about the smartness of his sister, opened his eyes and turned directly to her but she already watched him with a concerned gaze.

"Again Sis, how do you want to know that? You saw him today for the first time in your, but you can already read him like an open book?" Nick said, his eyes now also fixed on his sister.

"I don't know him but . . . I know how it is when someone in our family lied . . . You, me, mum . . . I know the facial expressions, the tone and even what we would say. I don't know why, but I had the feeling that everything he said today was true . . . And you know that I'm right . . . so why did you lied to Judy?" Patty asked, and Nick saw that she insisted on an answer.

For a moment, Nick felt just annoyance about the questions from Patty.

'Why did she has to know that? And even if she knows, it would make no difference for her! Dammit!' Nick thought.

All of this negative emotions vanished, when he looked at her and how she was biting her lip and moving her right feet way to restless up and down. Her eyes were full of worries but not for herself, she worried about Judy.

Nick, exhaled deeply before he started to speak.

"We have no evidence to prove his story, nor do we have the body and I also guess, that we will never find one . . . At least not if the things are really true, that he said to us and yes . . . I think like you that he was incredibly honest with us." Nick explained, but the only thing that changed in Patty's expression was a change from a concerned look over to confused one.

"But that doesn't explain, why you lied to her." Patty began and laid a paw on Nick's forearm.

'She was always good at making mammals talk and always in this subliminal way. Damm Patty, you should work for the Police and talk to criminals, not I…' Nick thought, and a deep exhale escaped his muzzle.

"I don't want her to be hurt Patty, okay? And I simply, can't stand it when she's sad. If I could, I would take all the money I own and run with her at the end of the goddamn world. Somewhere where nobody knows us . . . And start all over again." Nick explained in a dull voice.

Still confused, Patty looked at her brother, "Then why don't you do this?"

A chuckle came from Nick before he went on, "That was my plan at the beginning but no more . . . She would never run away from a problem, never. Today was the best proof for this . . . I need to protect her, I need to protect you, Mum, Stella, Nathan, Elliot, Heishiro and everyone in this town. I owe this to those who took damage from him. Do you understand?"

Patty nodded, "I do, brother, I do . . ." The Wilde siblings sat for a while on the bench and said nothing. They just watched how the sun went slowly down.

"Enough of this sad talk, let us go back to the others and celebrate at least a little bit." Nick said and stood up from the bench, holding his right paw to Patty to help her up. Both exchanged a little smile and went slowly to the door. Nobody said anything until they reached it.

"By the way, how is Mum doing?" Nick asked.

"Oh . . . I guess Mum is doing fine. I relocated her arm but . . .I guess she had one or two drinks too much. She's sleeping now on the couch in her office. Stella and I helped her up." Patty said and smiled now with her usual happy grin that Nick always loved seeing on her.

"She deserves to rest . . . Hopefully, she doesn't dream of monsters . . . there are already enough in reality." Nick said and closed the door to the greenhouse, the darkness already spreading over the plants and herbs. Leaving just barely enlighten atmosphere for the insects.

 **Conrad**

It was almost eight and slowly drove the middle-aged raccoon with his bright yellow cab in the secret parking lot of the nightclub "Between Heaven and Hell," which was hidden in an old factory building. With his car, there were four in total. Not more and not less, always four. Unamused about the sudden call of Void, Conrad got out of his cab and looked at the two limousines and the little, light blue compact car, which was in his opinion way too old to be still in use. However Ubik, a Hedgehog and the third member of the "God's Paw" loved it and would never sell it or even thinking about shutting it down.

With high interest noticed Conrad, that the guards of Void and Slan, still stood at the cars and waited for their masters to return.

'Untypical to let them wait here, something important was going on tonight, that's for sure.' Conrad thought.

Of course, Conrad could have a henchman on his own, but he didn't want to and what should he do with him anyway? He was an easy mammal, well as easy as a mammal could be, when they lived as a member of the God's Paw. All his life Conrad had fought his battles alone, and he wouldn't start now to do it otherwise. Ubik, on the other hand, was way too greedy to pay someone for his own protection, in fact, he would rather die than to pay for his life.

The raccoon wore, as usual, his typical cab driver outfit with the jeans, the vest and a checked shirt underneath. He looked like anyone, he knew he was recognized by some, but remembered by no one. Perfect for his job as the hitmammal of the group. He walked towards the hidden entrance and nodded towards Lenny, Void's guard, and it was a shame that such a good boy worked for this asshole. Lenny looked uneasy but still smiled and nodded back at the raccoon before he raised his way too young sounding voice.

"Good evening, Lenny."

"Good evening, Conrad? Would you like to have a flashlight? The electricity down there is still broken. . . " Lenny said and already knew what would hear on a second

"Still? What the hell is Void doing with all the money he has? Tse . . . I'm fine Lenny, I always carry one with me but thanks." Conrad replied and went on.

His next node gave Conrad to Cassandra, a female Leopard with the dedication of a fanatic when it came to her master. Mammals who just looked in a certain way at Slan already begged for an extended stay in the hospital...or more.

For Conrad was Cassy more than just a former disciple, for him, she was almost like a daughter he never had and never would have after his wife died some years ago. He still remembered very vividly how she came six years ago to his taxi, while he stood to wait in the midday sun of Savannah Central and waited for the next customer. She sat silently on the front passenger seat of his taxi and gave him ten dollars to drive her through the city. And so he did. Even during the drive remained Cassandra silent. It took him a while to understand that he was the reason for this behavior.

"Listen, I know that you work as a guard for Slan. So, how can I help you, Sweety?"

But Cassandra remained silent. She even bit her bottom lip, and it slowly came to me, why she was so afraid of him.

"It's me, right? Don't worry I will not . . ." Conrad began but was immediately interrupted by the young and nervous Leopard.

"Can you teach me, what you know? Please! Please, I beg you! I need to protect her but . . . I-I know, I shouldn't be afraid of you that. . . the stories about you."

"They are just stories, Sweety. Now tell me, why do you have this wish?" Embarrassed, Cassandra looked to her feet. Meekly she spoke to him.

"Sh-she saved me, and I want to repay her, what she did for me. She saved my life and now . . . now it belongs to her." Cassandra said, but Conrad saw, that there was more between the nineteen-year-old Leopard and the forty-two-year-old black panther. But this was something just between those two and nobody else. He declined at first but every noon she came to him paid him ten dollars and wanted to be driven through the city. After a week he finally accepted her request, and he shouldn't regret his decision.

"Good evening, Cassy. You look good tonight." Conrad said and nodded. A light smile appeared on the face of the female Leopard before she replied and he could imagine that she also blushed a bit under the yellow and black fur. She wore a blue evening dress, and it seemed as if she and Slan had other plans for this night as going to a meeting with Void.

"Thank you and also a good evening to you, Conrad."

The wall before him was entirely unsuspicious. You had to know behind which brick was the panel for the door and of course the correct combination of letter and numbers. After the peeping of the electronic door lock sounded two times, the brick wall opened right before him.

'As if I'm a young wizard and on his way to buy the first items for school . . . Tse, I shouldn't keep reading the books of my son, when he has already fallen asleep from my voice.' Conrad thought and entered the tunnel, with a smile on his face. Lenny was right, the electricity was still broken, and the inside of the tube was darker than a carload of crows. He took his flashlight out of the right pocket of his vest and made his way through the darkness of the tunnel, which was high enough for a larger predator. If Conrad had to guess, he would probably say that a Zebra was the tallest mammal, which could walk through this tunnel without hurting his head in the process.

After five minutes, Conrad reached the exit. Usually, stood here already one of Void's servants ready, mostly Kiki the young skunk girl with the high and annoying voice, to take his drinking order but not today. He was alone down here in the cellar of the Nightclub, which contained most of the drinks which were served higher up at the bar. Without waiting any longer, Conard walked up the staircase and turned to Void's office. No guards were on the floor either.

'What's going on, did he gave everyone a day off?' Conrad thought and walked on to their regular meeting room, which was hidden by a wooden wall panel. However, the door was already open by a little crack. Slowly closed Conrad the distance towards the door and looked carefully through the crack.

"Please come in Conrad, we already waiting for you, my dear," Slan called from inside the room with a voice sweet enough to make even the darkest coffee enjoyable. Conrad followed the kind invitation and stepped in. To his right on a roundtable sat Slan, a black female panther, who wore tonight a wine-red evening dress and Conrad had to admit she knew very well what she had to wear to highlight her merits for not just other felines.

On the opposite side and this time literally on the table sat Ubik, a small hedgehog dressed like a banker and worked on some papers, which he didn't seem to have finished before coming here.

"Good evening my dear and also a good evening to you Ubik."

Slan had her head leaned on her right paw and smiled slightly at Conrad. Ubik, however, had just his tiny paw risen towards the ceiling, to silence the raccoon for a moment. Like always, talked Ubik way to fast and the speed of his voice even increased, "I have right now, no time for chit-chat Conrad! Void called me at a horrible time, and now I still have to finish this papers because . . . You know how I hate unfinished business. So please, it's not easy to calculate black money, when the only place where the numbers are saved is your own brain . . . so please talk with Slan."

With slight annoyance, Conrad rolled his eyes about the behavior of Ubik. Twenty years, that's the time he knew the hedgehog now, but he was still as strange as on the first day of their meeting. Conrad sat finally down and turned with a smile towards the black panther, "Well, my dear . . . How are your girls doing? And furthermore, what had you planned for tonight, that you both dressed up like that? You both looked really stunning if I can say so."

Delighted about the attention of the Raccoon, Slan leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, "Of course, you can say so, Conrad. Which lady doesn't like to hear words of appraisal about her beauty? Oh, and my sweet, pointed knight and I, wanted to join this night the high society and listen to the rewarded voice of Enrico Palazzo. You know the little Quoka, everyone is talking about and my girls . . .Well, they are doing fine . . . What about your taxi company and your little one?"

"The taxis are rolling and the little one . . . Well, he is doing fine . . . But tell me, my dear. What is this all about? Where's Void?" Conrad asked and raised his paws to show his confusion. Just when Slan wanted to answer, Void, the red Panda walked into the conference room, on his face a big grin and some envelopes under his right arm. Like always dressed in a small suit.

"I'm sorry Conrad, I couldn't know, that you miss me so much." Void said and took the steps up to his chair. Conrad and Slan turned towards Void, just Ubik remained over his work and didn't even seem to notice that the last member of the God's paw had joined their conference.

"Missing is a pretty strong word, let's just say I would be glad if we could finish this for today as fast as possible. Some of us have children to take care of." Conrad replied and asked himself if someone besides himself ever wanted to punch this little ass in his fluffy red face.

"Then I'm already sorry, but this meeting could take a while . . . Here, but please let me explain before you open the envelopes." Void said and tossed everyone two letters on their side of the table. The ones for Ubik landed directly on the papers he was working on, but he just shoved them aside and continued working as if nothing had happened. Conrad took both envelopes and took a look on the cover. Both had a signature, one was titled with 'Broken Chain' and the other with 'Delta & Sigma.' He knew what these names mean, and he took a short glance at Slan, who looked with wide eyes and almost in terror at the envelope, holding one of them in each paw.

"You know that each of this cases is closed for a long time, right Void?" Conrad asked and laid the envelopes before him on the table. He couldn't exactly say why but he feared to open this two and read what stood in them.

"I'm aware of this, Conrad and don't worry you will soon understand what this is all about. Right now, I can just tell you, that something big has begun. Something, we can't stop anymore and something that will change maybe everything." Void said in an almost distant voice.

"Can you please explain what you mean, Void?" Slan asked and pulled Void out of his daydream and back to their conversation.

"Of course, my dear. Today was the first direct encounter between Miss Hopps, her group, and Kingfisher. Unfortunately, was I not able to hack into the devices of any of the attending mammals, who sat directly at the table . . . mhmm . . . It seems Mr. Anderson did all he can to protect the members of his group so I couldn't hack their devices, but I could hack a phone which was some meters away the audio is horrible as much as I could hear, had both sides declared war on each other. So the plan in action now and as I know Miss Hopps, there is no going back for her." Void explained and took a deep breath. Silence reigned for a short moment at the table.

"So your plan worked, just as you imagined it. Using Miss Hopps and her companions to fight the Company. Easy but probably effective." Conrad said in a depressing voice as if he would regret that Void's plan seemed to work.

"Well, we shouldn't be too fast with our conclusion, that everything will be so easy. Would you kindly open the envelopes? Thank you . . . and please read it carefully and tell me what you think." Void said and sounded as if he asked about an opinion for a new color in his office and not some highly secret documents.

Slan and Conrad needed their time to read the documents. They weren't complicated, hard to understand or even that much to read, but to grasp the whole meaning of the information in it, needed time. Every now and then, exchanged Slan and Conrad glances at each other, until Conrad leaned at first over to Ubik, who still worked on his papers and took away his calculator. The reaction from the hedgehog came immediately.

"HEY! Why are you doing that Conrad? I told you . . . Wha . . . What's going on? Why are you three looking at me like that?" Ubik asked confused.

"Read the papers in the envelopes, Ubik. It's incredibly important." Conrad said in a stern voice and turned now back to Void," Is it true, what is written here?"

"Every single word," Void replied.

"Do you reported this to the higher ups?" Slan asked nervously.

"Of course not, and before you ask, I'm the only one who has the proof for this." Void replied. The corners of his mouth went up and remained there.

Conrad looked again at the papers in his paws, "With this information . . . What we started with Hopps, Wilde, Conroy, the others and the company . . .It could literally destroy the whole town or even worse . . . Tse, there are fifty million lives on the line, and we were supposed to keep the peace of this city and not annihilate it."

"Oh please, Conrad. I think you overdramatize the whole thing tremendously . . . " Void began, his smile still on his lips, as if he was nothing but a statue and smiling was the only thing he could do. So he was interrupted by Conrad, who was furious by now and didn't even thought about limiting the volume of his voice, "Overdramatize? Are you out of your mind Panda? They can punish us for this . . . If these papers not getting reported and they somehow get the information, that we knew about this . . . This wouldn't just be an act against them, no! That would be our death sentence! Maybe even the death sentence for the whole city! Are you aware of this? . . . Wait . . . How long do you know that?"

For the first time appeared on Void's face something like nervousness about a question, "Let's assume that I knew about this . . . for some time now. . . "

"HOW LONG?" Conrad asked now with force.

The Raccoon and the Red Panda stared each other directly in the eyes and after a whole minute of silence spoke Void finally in a low but understandable voice.

" . . . About a year."

"A Year! And you didn't tell us? All of this could have been avoided, but now? We are screwed if one of them dies!" Conrad yelled through the conference room, but Void didn't even flinch. He was prepared for this discussion, and he knew how everyone would react, Conrad was sure of it.

"He is right, Void. What were you thinking not telling us?" Slan asked in a reproachful voice, but Void just smiled back at the black panther and her questioning dark eyes. No comment from him. To the amazement of Slan, Conrad and Void was Ubik the one who answered.

"It's pretty obvious why he didn't told us. . . . He knew that we would decline his idea and now it's too late, the game has begun, and the only thing we can do now is playing it . . . And this to the bitter end." Ubik said in his high voice and crossed his tiny arms in front of his belly.

"Game? This isn't a game. Our task was and still is to take care of this city. We were supposed to keep the peace and balance in this town, not threw Zootopia into chaos or play some games with it! Goddamnit!" Conrad shouted over to the Red Panda, who still didn't move. He just waited and stared at the mammals around him.

"Conrad, Void had always played games . . . even with us, but I think this here is different, and he will soon explain to us what his intention is right Void?" Ubik spoke carefully to Void, who just nodded in response to him. Right now, Conrad hated his old friend for his pure and cold rationality.

"I know that he did this in the past and I also know that he has something in the back of his mind, which is ready to be explained! But I'm sick of getting dragged into his mess!" Conrad said and slid down from his chair. With folded paws and his usual smile followed Void the Raccoon and how he walked in the direction of the door.

"Where do you want to go, Conrad?" Slan asked and sounded older and sadder as she was.

"I need to call my sister and ask her to take care of my son for tonight, this problem here will take a longer discussion. Should I also call Cassy and send her home?" Conrad asked Slan and turned back to the table.

"That would be very nice of you my dear. Please tell Cassy, that I will take a taxi back home, I guess you can reserve me a seat?" Slan replied and smiled at Conrad. Snapping with his finger, Conrad replied and pointed at the black panther, "I will drive you personally home. No need for you to worry about this."

Slan still smiled at him but he also saw that she started to play with her right earring and Conrad knew she was already thinking about the content of the letter and what they would do from now on. He also knew that she wouldn't stop thinking before they found a good or at least some solution for this mess.

Just for a second looked Conrad at Void and so directly at his stupid grin. Within a second all the anger came back to the surface, and he just needed to throw a last threat towards the Red Panda, to felt at least a little bit better.

"Listen Void, if worse comes to worse and The Last Order will come to Zootopia because your plan failed and I know you have already a plan in the back of your mind . . . Because you want to use this whole mess for . . . I don't know 'something' . . . Then I will blame you for everything that will happen from here on, and that means that I will punish you with my own paws if the time comes. Do you understand me?" Conrad said and watched the Red Panda. Everyone in the room knew, what Conrad was capable of. The smile vanished finally from Void's face.

"Don't worry my old friend. Everything will be fine. I promise." Void said, but this time he didn't want to hide his disgust.

Conrad didn't reply, he just walked out of the room and raised his phone to his ear.

 **Heishiro**

Ready to enter, stood Heishiro in front of the Blue Pearl and let his gaze wander over the facade of the building. Among critics counted the Blue Pearl as the best bar and restaurant in the Rainforest district and also as one of the best of whole Zootopia.

The building itself resembled more an oversized treehouse which stood directly on the south side of the rainforest hillside, that was turned towards the city. From the wide balcony could every mammal enjoy the beautiful view over the Bay Area, Savannah Central, the Sahara Square up to the Palm Springs Hotel and ended in the east with a glimpse of Tundra town.

The last time was Heishiro looking at the business card in his right claw. The front stated "Special Agent Arthur Lynch - ZBI" and an old telephone number on underneath which was now assigned to another ZBI mammal. However, the interesting part was on the back of the card. There stood written with a pen,"Blue Pearl - almost every day from 9 to 11 pm".

Heishiro exhaled profoundly and entered the restaurant. Immediately came a waiter over to him, even before he could take down his heat. The mammal in front of him was a young zebra, all dressed in black pants, a white shirt, and a red vest to finish the typical look of a waiter.

"Can I help you, Sir?" The waiter asked with a big smile on his muzzle and his round tablet strapped under his right arm.

"Oh, I'm sure you can. I search for a mammal, his name is Lynch. Arthur Lynch to be exactly, he is a big, grey wolf with . . . ," Heishiro began his explanations, but he shouldn't be the one to end them,". . . an eye patch over his left eye. Always grumpy and never with a nice word to anybody. Wow, I never thought that someone would want to visit the General."

The waiter ended his explanations and chuckled about Heishiro, who stood now with a slightly open mouth before him. The old serow didn't need long to recover his open mouth back into a smirk.

"The . . . General, huh?" Heishiro asked confused but still with a smile on his face.

"Oh, you don't know? Arthur Lynch is the Director of the ZBI and every… and I mean really every Agent calls him the General. One member, who comes here from time to time, told me once that he is as stubborn as a rock and I think he is equally lonely. Please follow me, I will lead you to him." The Waiter whose name was Carlos, at least according to his nameplate, that Heishiro just now recognized.

'Was it there? The whole time? You get old Heishiro . . . No, you are old.' The old Serow thought and shook his head while he chuckled about his own age. Silent and his arms crossed on his back followed Heishiro Carlos through the Restaurant, which was at this point of the evening almost full with guests. On one side stood even a white piano, on which a young Gazelle performed 'Fur Elise.'

For a moment listened Heishiro to the sound of the music but went finally on.

'I heard it already better from Patricia, she gave it also way more drive than this young fellow.' Heishiro thought.

Together they passed through the complete inside of the restaurant, stepped out in the warm night and made their way to the edge of the long and wide wooden balcony. On one separated and smaller part of the balcony stood a table with two chairs, on it an ashtray, a tumbler glass which was slightly filled with an amber colored liquid and also a massive flacon bottle with enough in it for the rest of the night. The mammal, who sat on the left chair leaned with his head on his right paw and looked at the skyline of Savannah Central and the docks behind it.

"Can I bring you something, Sir?" Carlos asked before he wanted to go.

"Oh please bring me a small bottle of Sake with a temperature of 35°C would be perfect." A node and Carlos was gone. Heishiro turned now towards the grey timber wolf and made the last steps towards him.

"Good evening, Arthur. We didn't see each other in a long time." Heishiro said and waited for a response from the grey wolf. It took some time before Arthur answered but when he did, a deep and rough voice echoed over to the old Serow. Years of drinking and smoking had left their scars on it.

"I already heard you talking to Carlos, and you know . . . I always wished I never had to see you again. Too much bad memories." Arthur said and emptied the rest of his glass in one gulp.

"May I take a seat?" Heishiro asked. Causally, Arthur waved his paw over to the empty chair, and Heishiro sat down.

"What do you want here?" Arthur asked in a troubled voice.

"You know, there is only one reason why I would come to you," Heishiro said and folded his claws on his lap. The wolf beside him looked incredible old, much older than Heishiro expected him to be. His remaining emerald green eye glinted from the light of the Downtown area. Like the last time he saw Arthur, wore the wolf today again a grey suit, but this time he also wore a tie.

"He is back, and he said some alarming things . . . " Heishiro said but remained silent for a moment when Carlos arrived with his Sake. When Carlos was gone, Heishiro could hear that Arthur was growling in silence.

"What did he said?" Arthur pressed the words almost through his clenched teeth.

"I will tell you what happened today and I will even tell you why I came to Zootopia . . . But at first, I want finally know what happened back then in Izumo. The real story not what the media and the police made up." Heishiro said and looked with determination to Arthur. For the first time turned Arthur entirely to Heishiro. The eye patch was pitch black, and his other eye was fixed on Heishiro.

"I can't tell you. The information for this case are still restricted because of the ICOU." Arthur said.

"Don't fool me, Wolf. I know that the International Crime Offense Unit is long dead, they died alongside many mammals, thirty-two years ago in Izumo. I even know that you were the last Agent they ever took in and with that by now the only and highest member. So please tell me, what happened back then in my hometown? What happened during Operation Foxcatcher and why had so many mammals to die?" Heishiro said, and just now, he had recognized that his claws were sunk deep in the wood of the armrest. Apparently, even Arthur saw this. The wolf leaned back and exhaled deeply.

"Fine, I will tell you what happened during Operation Foxcatcher. If anyone deserves to know, then it is you . . . Everything started with a stupid bowl of rice in my face . . . " Arthur began and poured himself another glass of Whisky.


	31. Another Town,Another Time,Another Mammal

A/N: Dear reader, whoever is interested who I will proceed with the story please listen. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish the rework in the month I had time for it. Mostly, I would blame RL for this. Anyhow, how will I proceed? Easy, I will now change things a little. From now on and with the help of a new editor, I will release one new chapter(like now) and rework two old chapters until I have reworked all of my old chapters and then again will follow a new chapter for you.

 _The events of this Arc are taking place 33 years before the start of "ARC I - Something Begins", in the eastern City Izumo or "City of the Clouds"._

" _All cities are mad: but the madness is gallant. All cities are beautiful, but the beauty is grim." ― Christopher Morley_

* * *

 **Arthur**

* * *

Arthur Lynch hated the day directly after he took his first step out of bed, where he forgot that his 'bed', was now not more than a futon and his head laid in a bowl of rice. He tried to turn around and understand what happened but reality was a cruel thing, and the memories came back faster than he wanted. After he sat down and tried to clean his face from the rice, he felt how the well-known pain in his head was slowly coming back. Arthur knew it was the jet lag that caused it. Since his first time traveling around the world, the sickness was a hated but trusty companion. And he knew, all that helped at the moment was some time with his eyes closed and some painkillers... or some whiskey. But the grey wolf didn't assume, that a glass with the drink was waiting for him on the breakfast table. So he would do, what he always did when the pain hit him badly, sitting, waiting and reconsidering some of his life choices that brought him to this point in his life.

Arthur Lynch was with his 29 years the youngest member of an international anti-crime unit, with the aim to target those mammals and organizations that couldn't be taken down by the police or their special units. The world they lived in was controlled by city-states and their surrounding areas. All in all, the cities cooperated with each other peacefully, some even formed alliances but this was something rare and as much as Arthur knew was the ICOU the only exception. There were also attempts to create whole countries, through the alliances of multiple cities. The last country who tried this was the Zooviet Union. An empire created and destroyed through bloody revolutions. Especially the Great Counter-Revolution that ended the alliance of 45 cities was a mess. Over three million mammals died during this event and a lot of them in a gruesome way. Even today it is not clear what started the events that led to so many deaths and tragedies.

All of this happened just seven years ago but felt for Arthur like a whole eternity. During this time, he was still a Police Officer at Precinct One in Zootopia. Every day arrived new gruesome facts about the progress of the destruction of the cities. As it seemed the assassination of the entire leading class was the reason for the outbreak of violence and the new revolution, which had only the aim to undo everything the first revolution had established. Countries were now a thing of the past and cities again the ruler of the world.

And as always in the history of the world, tried the biggest players in this game to control it. Namely was that a group of prominent international cities, with names like Zoo York, Deertroit, Bärlin, Oxford, Moscow and since a short time also Zootopia. They formed the organization with the name ICOU - the International Crime Offense Unit. And Arthur Lynch was the first member from Zootopia, who was allowed to join the ranks of this agency.

After almost two years of training, he was now finally assigned to his first official mission, which brought him from Zootopia, where he originally worked for the ZBI, to the eastern town of Izumo. Which is better known in the rest of the world as the 'The City of the Clouds.' With it's 14 million mammals it was one of the biggest cities, in the eastern area of the planet. Mostly famous for its high towers and skyscrapers, which stick every morning out of heavy and thick fog which created the illusion of a city that was floating over the clouds. Those clouds of mist were the result of hot springs in the mountains that surrounded the whole town to the west, south and partly the north. Just the east was open to the seaside.

The morning was always the best time to watch from one of the surrounding mountains, the clouds floating through the streets of the city, into the suburbs, over the river, directly into the downtown area with its vast skyscrapers and hundreds of blinking billboards. Arthur would never understand why they always had to use so many of this damned blinking things in their inner cities, here in the east, they were mostly too colorful but still an enormous pain in the eye.

Arthur was still tired, but he could hear how outside of his room someone approached his door, he knew that it was Jiro, the young fox police officer that was assigned to him and who tried as best as he could to support him in this new environment.

"Lynch-sama? Can I help you with anything?" The young red fox asked with high anticipation and a strong eastern accent in his voice. Arthur looked around in the dark sleeping room and took his time until he answered.

"Yes...first thing, how late is it," the tired grey wolf asked with a grumpy voice.

"It is now 5:32 AM, Lynch-sama," Jiro replied fast, from the other side of the wooden sliding door.

"Okay, and why the hell are you already awake at this unholy time when the briefing is at 9 am? Would 7 am not perfectly okay?" Arthur asked with even more anger in his voice.

Jiro was confused and needed some time to answer, "...I-I always start my day at 5 am, Lynch-sama. I'm sorry."

But he couldn't end his sentence, Arthur stood up and walked in some steps to the sliding door and opened them with a little bit too much force. Just clothed with some shorts, he stood in front of the fox, who sat in front of the door in for this region normal sitting position. They were just inches apart from each other, and Arthur looked with his emerald green eyes into the glasses and the similar green eyes of the fox.

"I told you to call me Arthur? A-R-T-H-U-R, nothing more, nothing less, okay? Or use Mr. Lynch, but I would prefer Arthur, okay? I know you have this honorific speech here, but please, we have to work together, and I go crazy if you call me the whole time Lynch-sama," Arthur shouted way to angry and way too loud at the young officer. Instantly, he regretted what he did but didn't apologize. He never did, not even when he really wanted or needed to.

Jiro Nakamura, the young police fox officer, stood up with a smile, bowed and said with his head facing towards the wooden ground, "I'm sorry, I try to call you in the future by your first name... Arthur. I will prepare the breakfast so you can make yourself ready." Without hesitation turned the fox around and walked through the floor directly into the kitchen.

Arthur clicked his tongue and turned around to the half-dark room. "What a terrible start...," was the only thing the wolf said to himself. The rising sun slowly revealed the mess, which the wolf had produced by now. The rice, which was spread all over the floor, came originally with some fish, and all of this should be a late night meal for him. But after he was brought here from the airport by a very talkative taxi driver, who spoke to him permanently in a language he didn't understand one bit, he just wanted a hot shower and a place to sleep.

The welcome from Jiro last night, was as expected warm and friendly. And of course, he had everything prepared for him, a bed, the mentioned food, and a warm shower. Jiro lived in one of those old wooden houses, where you could be happy if there were already electricity available.

Arthur tried to put as good as he could the rice, he spread all over the floor back into the little bowl and searched afterward for some painkillers in his bag. He took three of them, so that he could have as good of a day as possible. Finally, he started to dress. After he put on his shoulder gun holster over a white shirt and some dark pants, he decided to bring the little table with the three small bowls back to its rightful owner. So he walked to the kitchen and put the table beside the sink. Arthur observed the house very closely but until now was nothing exciting to see, most of the stuff in the house was old but in good shape.

It was now six in the morning, and Jiro had already prepared the meal for both of them, which meant more rice for the grey wolf. But Arthur was okay with that, he had eaten worse. So he sat on the floor of the living room, in front of a little table and waited for the red fox to appear with the food.

Dried fish, vegetables and some rice was something that Arthur could bear in the morning, but this awkward silence between him and Jiro was a completely different story. It was like eating breakfast with John and Mary after both had only moments before a huge argument. They were his best friends, and he loved both them like the siblings he never had, but such a breakfast with the young married couple was always a bad start in the day. So he did what Arthur knew best in such situations, and that was asking stupid questions.

"Nice home, Jiro. Did you buy it?" Arthur asked the young fox, but he just smiled and replied, "No, it was the home of my grandmother. She was also the one who raised me after my parents died. After her death, I remained alone. It is...nice to have somebody around, even if it is just temporary and just for work."

Arthur nodded and looked around in the living room while he was eating his breakfast. The complete room was lined with Tatami mats, there were no photos, no tv, some commodes, two bookshelves, one door to the kitchen, one to the floor and one to the small inner yard. Everything was clean and neat. Not like his own apartment...

"Say Jiro, do you know something about the case we will get," Arthur asked with a questioning gaze to the fox, who sat in the for this region of the world typical sitting or better kneeling position in front of the little table.

Jiro seemed unsure, but he also seemed to know something. Arthur saw it, and this changed his mood. Grinning he said to the fox, "Come on red ear, tell the wolf from far away what has happened."

Jiro took his time, he finished his bowl of rice, set it down together with his chopsticks and bowed for short moment with his paws pressed together. Finally, he looked up to Arthur, who was still grinning and had no longer an excuse to dodge the answer, so he started slowly to explain, "All I heard is that there was an attack and the number of victims seems to be pretty high...but everything else is just speculation...and well..."

"You are right, we should wait for the briefing... Say, this seems to be a tough case why did they hire such a young police officer, like you for this? I mean normally they select specific mammals for this, train them and let them wait an eternity until they get their first mission," the wolf asked a bit offended and observed the fox in every detail.

"I...I'm sorry Arthur, I don't think they selected me for something special I can do. The only thing I was better than the rest of my fellow officers was my knowledge of your language, " Jiro answered as honestly and convincingly as he could.

Arthur exhaled profoundly and stood up. He knew that something like this wouldn't help, so he kept the rest of the accusations for himself.

"It's okay, we should get dressed and head for the main police department and the meeting. Is it a long way?" Arthur asked Jiro and strolled to his sleeping room, where he grabbed his gun, his ZBI badge, the jacket for his suit, his sunglasses and his new badge which identified him as an agent of the ICOU.

From the living room came the answer from the fox, who also tried to carry all of the dishes to the sink without losing any of them, "Ehm,...yes I would say half an hour, and we are...mhm there. Please give me a moment, to prepare myself."

Arthur walked already outside of the door and shouted back into the kitchen, "Take your time, I will try to catch some air..."

But in reality, he stood in front of the house and opened his box of cigarettes, lightening one of them. With a deep breath, he inhaled the grey smoke, laid his hand into his neck and exhaled the steam into the already blue sky of this warm morning in June.

The grey wolf smiled as he remembered how Marie found him and John two weeks ago. After a hard day at work, both of them had already drunk some beer in their favorite bar and smoked a cigarette. Marie never liked it, when John was smoking, she joined them after she finished her tasks and said, 'I don't like it when you smoke Arthur, so at least do me a favor and put it out, please John. Those things will kill you one day.' But John made a grave mistake, he talked back to his wife, 'Oh Darling, I always thought that my job will kill me one day?' Marie, however, stared at him and replied 'Okay, I will put it differently, stop smoking instantly or I'll be your death, DARLING.'

Marie's gaze scared John and Arthur so much so that both predators put their cigarettes out immediately. Happy about the result, Marie patted the cheeks of both adults and put on her victory smile.

"Arthur? Is everything alright," Jiro asked from behind him. Arthur turned around and looked a little bit dazzled at the fox, who stood now in front of him in his full police uniform, which was dark blue and looked similar to his own dress uniform, which still hung in his closet.

"Sorry, I was thinking...and lost track of my surrounding," Arthur answered, flicked the last part of his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. Both mammals walked over to the police car that was standing in front of the garage and like it is common in this part of the world was Arthur as the passenger taking place on the left side and Jiro on the right. The red fox corrected his glasses and started the engine.

On the way through the suburbs, Arthur observed his surroundings carefully. They drove through small streets, framed by high concrete walls with wooden houses behind it, like the one where Jiro lived in. There were not many mammals on the roads. Slowly, they drove from the southern mountains, where a lot of mammals lived under simpler conditions, down to the Hightown, an area with middle sized office buildings and apartments for mammals who could afford to live here. The crowd on the sidewalks grew larger with every block they drove into the heart of the old city.

They stopped at a rather big intersection, but as soon as the lights went to green, it was for Arthur as if a wall was suddenly walking in front of him. A wall made of hundreds and hundreds of mammals, who roamed in a quick step over the street to reach their next destination. It was a view that nobody would forget so quickly who saw it for the first time, not even Arthur. He tried to honor it in his own words.

"Holy . . . Is this always like this," Arthur said astonished to the young fox. Jiro replied with a light smile instantly, "Yes, for this time of the day and year it is a normal amount of mammals. You have to know we are now in the middle of the city. And here you see one of the main problems in this town with public traffic, everything went straight through the center of the city, and all mammals have to go through this bottleneck...well with 15 million mammals things are not so easily manageable."

Not even five seconds after Jiro had ended with his explanations, the streets were again free of mammals, at least for a short time. The 'wall' was now back on both sides, and you could feel how the mammals were waiting to spread again onto the streets. All it needed was a little green light. The whole town was by now a melting pot for business mammal who tried to get to their next appointment, groups of young mammals with yellow heats, school girls and boys in different school uniforms and besides all of them drove a grey wolf from the other side of the world who watched the whole scenery with high interest. It was so different from what he knew from Zootopia.

"There are a lot of foxes in this town? I never saw them in such big numbers in Zootopia, and also red ones, some arctic foxes and even some black ones. Your species seems to be good in the art of multiplying," Arthur said with a little chuckle in his voice. Jiro smiled embarrassed and started to explain, "Yes, you saw that correctly. 38 percent of all mammals in this town are foxes, the rest is mainly predator, with 12 percent wolves, 8 percent badger and a lot of smaller mammals. Most of the prey mammals who live here are ibexes, goats, serows or other middle-sized mammals."

"Mmh, you're well informed about the city...," Arthur said with a smile. Jiro didn't look up, he just continued with his explanations, "We have to, the schools in this town and every other eastern area are strict, even if you want to be a police officer you need outstanding grades. Which means a lot of learning and cramming. But I think, that will be no different in Zootopia, right?" Jiro said and glanced for a short moment over to the grey wolf, but the only thing Arthur did was to chuckle before he began to speak.

"Our lives and towns up to this moment couldn't be different Jiro, I can't remember to do much in school or that I crammed a lot in my free time. Mostly, I was with friends on the streets or doing things in town. And we also have a much higher number of different mammals. I even heard from a politician who proposed the idea to create divergent ecosystems in Zootopia to attract even more mammals to the city. It's a pretty crazy idea if you ask me and it got declined from most of the mammals in the town council," Arthur replied face and laid himself back on his seat while watching the streets of Izumo. More of the blinking billboards hung everywhere at the buildings and on them stood signs and symbols Arthur couldn't decipher.

After 30 minutes, both mammals reached the Main Police Station, a skyscraper in the heart of Izumo, the whole building was an impressive tower made out of glass and steel. It seemed to have at least 50 floors. To its east side was also a technical building attached, to store away weapons gadgets and other needed materials. On the left side of the tower was a building, that contained a trainings center for the working police officers. It all seemed to be new, and in the best shape. From outside, it looked as if the police here could handle things very well on its own. Why did they need the ICOU? For an attack? Even if it was one from the local Yakuza, that was usually nothing they call us for, Arthur thought.

Jiro turned with his car into the underground car park and led the grey wolf through the vast building. On their way up, Arthur recognized that most of the officers were foxes, whereas the higher-ups and detectives were all wolves.

A loud shout echoed through the entrance hall, and all mammals stood still and saluted. Arthur had an idea of what would happen next, and he shouldn't be disappointed. After some seconds walked a highly decorated member of the police through the hall, which Arthur identified as the chief. Directly after the chief followed two other police members, who had a very high resemblance with the mammal in front of them.

The chief was a wolf with almost golden fur, his eyes were brown and his age could Arthur just estimate of 45 or maybe 50. He wore like everyone else a blue uniform, but the number of medals and rewards which were attached to him was much higher. His gaze was hard and unforgiving when the chief looked from one mammal in the room to the next. For a short moment, the chief stopped directly in front of Arthur, and the old wolf scanned him from head to toe with a disapproving look.

'Let it slide, Arthur. As if that would mean anything, you're just temporarily here.' Arthur thought, but despite that, he felt a sting in his chest for how the old wolf had looked at him as if he had seen just a filthy mammal who was sitting at the corner of a street and begging for money.

"Jiro?" Arthur asked when the police chief was finally gone and looked from one mammal to the next, but whenever eyes met, the mammal who was looking at him turned his gaze away and walked on. All the Vixens who worked here tried to avoid his gaze even more and treated him as if he was not existent. A new and strange feeling for the grey predator.

"Yes, Arthur-sama?" Jiro said and recognized his mistake immediately. With wide eyes, he turned his head to the grey wolf and bowed shortly before Arthur for his mistake. "Sumimasen...I mean, my apologies. I should better watch, what I say."

Arthur, however, sighed and continued, "It's okay. But tell me, what's going on here with the chief? And why are there no foxes in higher positions?"

"Mmh yes...I can explain it, but it's a longer story. Do you want a coffee? We still have time, and I can explain it during a small coffee break," Jiro asked, corrected his glasses and looked up to Arthur. The wolf, however, looked at his watch. 7:22 am, stated his black-steel watch, a gift from Marie and John to his last birthday. Arthur nodded, and both predators walked through a large and modern looking floor towards some vending machines, which provided coffee.

"You have to know this town is old, very old and full of tradition. And some of these traditions will probably never die. You see maybe a modern city with high towers made of glass and steel but deep down not much has changed over the centuries," Jiro explained and pushed a button on the machine, which Arthur couldn't decipher or even imagine what they could mean. But as long as the drink that Jiro would give him was black and hot, he would be happy with it.

"Okay, what do you mean exactly?" Arthur asked and took a steaming cup of coffee from the fox. Jiro turned back to the machine and pushed the same button again. Almost bored he took a small piece of cleaning rag out of his pocket and started to clean his glasses. While occupied with this task, he began to speak.

"In the old-times, a lot of noble families reigned over the towns in the eastern territories of this world. They were called Daimyos, but you would refer to them as Lords, even today a lot of mammals use this term when they speak about one of them. Anyhow, some of those daimyos do their duty until today. The Tokugawa-Clan, for example, a family of Buffalos reigns even now in a huge town north from Izumo with the name Wagyu as the mayor of the city," Jiro explained and took his cup from the machine. Together they walked to a nearby bench and sat down. Arthur leaned immediately back on the court and watched the fox who sat straight like a candle some inches beside him. From time to time, the two mammals sipped from their cups.

"These were the daimyos of the cities, and under each of them gathered multiple families, joined together to create the leading cast of the town. Many years those daimyos fought in wars against each other. This time was also called Sengoku Jidai or the age of warring cities. No one could win the wars or even claim to be the strongest for long. In the year 1600, the most powerful daimyos went to the last battle to decide once and for all, who would be the ruler over the eastern territories. 160,000 mammals, samurai and also citizen stood ready to die for their master. On October 21st, they met in the valley of Sekigahara and..." Jiro said but went silent for a moment. Arthur also saw the reason for the sudden calm. A larger group of fox police officers passed by. None of the foxes spoke, but they seemed determined what their aim was.

"And? Let me guess, the greatest leader of them won and claimed everything for himself?" Arthur said and chuckled, but Jiro shook just his head and corrected his glasses.

"That is what everyone would expect, yes. But no." "What do you mean with no?"

"I mean...nobody knows what happened on that day in the valley of Sekigahara. From 160,000 mammals returned just five from the battlefield and they agreed that they would never again draw their sword against another city. When the four surviving daimyos arrived back in their cities, they swore to never speak about what happened on that day." Jiro said and took another sip from his coffee. Arthur's curiosity was awoken, and so he asked," Wait! Didn't you say that five mammals survived?"

"Yes, five survived. The names of the surviving daimyos were Ieyasu Tokugawa a buffalo, Masamune Date a deer, Mistunari Ishida an Otter and Yukimura Sanada an Enzo wolf. The fifth mammal was a nameless samurai who vanished forever after the battle had ended and no one knows who he was." Jiro replied and waited for more questions from the wolf, who seemed to think about the story from the young fox. After a minute of silence, he asked," Okay but what happened? I can just hardly believe that almost 160,000 mammals died or simply vanished."

"Well, there are theories. Some say the three goddesses itself ended the war, others said that the horror of such a brutal battle with more pain and suffering than one mammal could bear had changed the surviving lords forever and other believe hell itself had opened and swallowed all the sinners, who had a blade in their paw or claw and brought on this way the world back into equilibrium." Jiro ended and took the last sip from his coffee. Determined, both mammals stood up, threw their cups in the nearby trashcan and walked to the nearest elevator.

"Okay, that was a nice story, Jiro. But, it still doesn't explain why there are just wolves in the higher ranks." Arthur said and put his paws into his pockets.

"I'm sorry, I got carried away. I told you before about the surviving daimyos, and one of those was Yukimura Sanada, the daimyo of Izumo. When he returned, he gave his power to a council of wise mammals and took for himself the position as the head of security which became later the chief of the police. Since then, just members of the Sanada family and their relatives could come into a leading position." Jiro ended and pushed the button for the elevator, which opened after some seconds.

"Okay, now I understand, the guy we saw before, who is also the chief of the police of Izumo is right now also the head of the Sanada family, right?" Arthur replied and stepped with Jiro into the elevator. The fox pushed the button with the number fifty-two on it and continued his explanation.

"That is correct. Chief protector of Izumo was and still is the Sanada family. The mammal you saw back then was Masayuki Sanada the chief of the police. The two wolves you saw behind him were his two sons. His oldest son is Yukimura Sanada, named after the legendary hero who returned from Sekigahara and who is right now the commissioner of the police and the mammal who leads the investigation from the side of the town." Jiro said. The elevator stopped, and both walked, with the fox in the lead, towards the designated room. Before they entered, Arthur turned with a smile to the fox.

"Thanks for the small history lesson, I think I get this town a lot better than before."

To their surprise, they were not the first mammals in the room. Two deer who looked very similar sat already in the first row with folded claws and waited for the beginning of the meeting. They didn't look at each other, but from time to time Arthur could hear that they exchanged small snippets of talk. He couldn't understand what they were saying but what they said sounded harsh.

Arthur and Jiro sat in the third row, where they were close to the windows. After a while entered a female panther and a male buffalo on the scene, all companioned by another fox of the local police. And all of them tried to bring as much space between them and the other members as possible. Arthur hated such behavior, it was like a kindergarten, but he knew prominent personalities needed a lot of space.

The view from up here was amazing. Arthur couldn't help himself and watched until the meeting started over the city and the surrounding area. From up here, he saw the harbor with coming and going container ships, other high buildings, the mountains to the north with its vast and impressive mansions and of course the town itself who laid now beneath him. Finally, at 9:00 sharp walked the current director of the ICOU together with a yellow furred wolf which he remembered from the short and unpleasant meeting with his father, and a young vixen. The female fox carried a large number of file cases into the meeting room and stored them in front of the small crowd.

The chief of the ICOU was an older lion with the name Simon Bennett, he led the ICOU now for 12 years and was famous for a lot of successful missions in this time. He stood himself behind his central placed main desk and started without longer explanations to speak, he looked like he had a hard night, "Good morning agents and supporting police officers. I don't want to beat around the bush, the first item on the agenda is the presence of the ICOU member, so let's see... Camila Sanchez?"

The female Panther raised her paw and looked shortly over to the smaller white vixen beside her. With a light voice said Camila, "Si, Camila Sanchez from Catacas is here and ready, Sir."

"Excellent, the next one...ah Paul Duncan?", the old lion asked in the direction of the buffalo who immediately raised his hoof.

"Agent Paul Duncan, from Port Margarete, is here and ready to solve whatever case there is for us, Sir!" The Buffalo shouted towards the lion, who responded with a little node and a smile.

Without hesitation, Simon was going to the next mammal, "Good to hear Paul. The Gernach brothers from Bärlin?"

"Hier, Agent Otto, and Frank Gernach are ready for the upcoming task," the deer said on the left, his brother to the right remained silent and kept looking to the lion.

Arthur smiled with every introduction of the agents more and more. He knew their names, he knew their stories, and all he wanted was to be one of them. They were his idols, Camila Sanchez the one who fought alone against a whole drug cartel, Paul Duncan who brawled without help against twenty mammals of his size and won. The Gernach brothers, so professional in their work, that they had a 99 percent success ratio. And now Arthur would be part of this group, where only the best of the best were accepted.

The lion turned to Arthur and said, "And of course our newest member, Arthur Lynch from Zootopia. Mr. Lynch a short introduction?"

Smiling, Arthur stood up and began, "Agent Arthur Lynch from Zootopia. Right now, I work in my hometown for the Zootopia Bureau of Investigation. I hope for good cooperation."

No one reacted, and Arthur sat himself down beside Jiro, who looked very intimidated over to the rest of the mammals.

"Not very welcoming," Jiro said to Arthur but the grey wolf just shook his head and repeated, "Don't overthink it, they want to see new ones in action, to see what they can do. Everywhere it's the same, no matter if it's the police or some high agency."

Simon nodded and began now with the real mission briefing, "Alright everyone, listen, Ms. Hamamoto will give you now the cases with all the information we have at the moment. But beware, the images are disturbing. These words are directed more to our police officers, than to our agents. The command over the local police officers, who are working for this case, will take Commissioner Yukimura Sanada.", Simon pointed with his paw over to the wolf who stood in complete police uniform in front of them and waited for his part.

The vixen walked through the rows and laid for every duo two folders on the table. Arthur opened it immediately and skimmed through the sites, Jiro, however, opened it and looked a bit fearful from side to side. Apparently, the young fox wasn't used to such images.

Simon continued meanwhile with his explanations, "The pictures you see before you are from our local ICOU office. The attack was two days ago, and every mammal in this local branch was killed." The heads of all mammals in the room went instantly to the lion. Camila looked with widened eyes to the Leader and asked, "About how many victims are we talking here?"

"We talk about three victims in total, all of them were killed with a clean shot to the head. At the moment, the branch in Izumo isn't existent," Simon said with a lot of worry in his voice. All eyes went back to the documents and photos in front of them. No one spoke for the next minutes. But one important question was still in the air, but no one dared to ask, what was on everyone's mind.

Arthur was finally the one who broke the silence and asked without raising his head from the pieces of information, "About how many suspects are we talking about? I mean three dead mammals in nothing more than 30 minutes, but according to the photos came death to all of them like a surprise? Who does something like this? And how?"

The old lion became nervous, and his paws pounded like crazy on his table until he decided, what he wanted to say. The word came slowly, but everyone heard it.

Simon said, almost on edge to whispering, "One."

"One, what?" Paul Duncan asked confused. Everyone looked now up to the lion and waited for the complete explanation. And he better give them a good one, Arthur couldn't believe what he was hearing. It sounded like a prank someone wanted to play on them.

"At the moment and according to our crime scene investigators, all pieces of evidence point to the fact that all the mammals were killed with the same gun, from the same mammal. There were not a bunch of attackers, it was just one. One mammal that entered the location at 8:30am and left it at 9:00 am local time. According to our information was the weapon he used a typical Gluck, nothing extraordinary. Presumably, he used a silencer. There were no cartridge cases found at the scene. Yes...That is what we have...," Simon said very sorrowfully.

The on the left sitting of the Gernach brothers, could no longer hold on to himself and almost exploded about the findings. Otto stood up and shouted to Simon, "THAT'S IT? Do you know what that is Bennett? A bad joke! We have nothing, according to your information! What is with paw prints, fur samples, a face, a name... I don't know? Anything? What should we hunt in this city? A ghost? About what for a mammal we're talking right now?"

Simon was apparently embarrassed about the correct evaluation of Otto Gernach and tried at least to sell his last evidence as a success. He began carefully to explain, "We have two witnesses, who said that the suspect who left the scene is a...well... a fox..."

"A FOX?" almost all agents shouted at once in absolute disbelieve.

"You want to tell me that a fox did all of this? A fox? ¡Eso es increíble!" said Camila said after she stood up. For a short moment, she was shocked like most other mammals in the room and walked over to the windows to rethink the whole situation.

Otto Gernach who was still standing, was now a little bit calmer and so he tried to bring this conversation in any successful direction, "And what does he looked like? Could someone identify him?"

"Unfortunately no, he was wearing a traditional kabuki mask, the one of Kitsune," Simon said. He stopped whitewashing the whole attack and just continued with the facts.

"Großartig! So we really have nothing? We're searching for a fox in a town with 5 million fox residents? Great, just great...any other bad news," Otto said and dropped on the chair beside his brother Frank, who sat there with a thoughtful gaze and looked down on his claws. Paul Duncan, the big Buffalo waited for someone else to speak. Camila was still standing at the window and seemed in deep thought.

It was finally Arthur, who stood up and looked around. After some seconds he said, "Okay, to summarize the whole case, two days ago entered a masked fox the ICOU Branch while they all had a short coffee break. He killed in that process three agents, I just want to repeat it, agents. We are not talking about civilian victims here, no. We speak about trained and assigned agents. After half an hour he left the scenery, and someone saw him with his mask on leaving the agency, and he just disappeared? And he left without leaving any evidence? To me, that sounds like a professional killer, someone who knows what he does."

Simon nodded to the summary of Arthur and started now by himself, "Very good, Mr. Lynch, I understand now why you were promoted to join the ICOU. We assumed a the moment the same thing and... according to the information we have, is just one name on our board, that connects clearly to the only evidence the suspect left."

Angry and slightly confused shouted Otto from his chair to the lion, "I thought we have no EVIDENCE...where is this coming from?"

"It's not really, evidence. Please, Mr. Gernach and all other agents, take a look at the last photo...," Simon said and seemed a little bit tense. All agents skipped immediately through the folder and took a look at the last piece. Even Camila was walking back to her place, the vixen who accompanied her, had already searched for the photo and presented it to her. Camila smiled to her and replied, "Thank you, Tanaka-san."

Happy smiled the vixen, folded her paws and looked back into her own folder. Arthur and Jiro skipped both through the pictures in front of them. After they found it, Arthur was more than confused, and Jiro said with widened eyes, "Oh no,... that is bad."

All they saw, was an old and slightly faded drawing with a bird on it. The bluebird was sitting on the branch of a tree, the viewer saw just the back of the animal. But his head was looking over his shoulder. Under the drawing was written only one word.

 _Kawasemi_

"Jiro, what does Kawasemi means?" Arthur asked, still with a confused look on his face. The young fox didn't answer instantly, his worried face gave Arthur already the first glimpse of things to come. Half loud but for everyone understandable in the room the young fox said, "The name of this bird...you...you would call him Kingfisher."

 **Paul**

Paul Duncan, the black buffalo, looked at the young police officer, who sat some meters beside him. He seemed young, inexperienced and maybe too soft for the upcoming tasks. And the job was nothing anyone should take lightly. Even Paul, an agent with fifteen years of experience as an agent of the ICOU plus multiple more years of experience with his local agency and police. No matter how he looked at this case, something like that had never happened before. Nobody ever tried to attack the agency itself. Sure, there was once a crazy killer in Otterwa, who killed another agent after he knew the name of the mammal but that was maybe 5 or 6 years ago, and they could catch the crazy puma after some days. But this here was different, Paul felt it. They usually hunted down 'normal' criminals, if something like this existed, something like mobsters, crime syndicates and so one. Mostly were organizations target of the ICOU, which meant a threat to a large group of free and peaceful living mammals in this world and just in the rarest cases would an ICOU agent or even a full ICOU task force act against a single mammal.

Organizations were easy to chase, because they needed room, left traces and mammals who knew things about them, but a single killer? Maybe even highly professional one? This would be a tough one, so much was sure. He could hide, be everywhere and could have no one around him.

But this time, were even six agents called to the scene, not small ones, no the best of the best and to top all of that, the big boss, Simon Bennett by himself came to lead the whole investigation. Something was up, and Paul didn't like it.

Paul's right claw went to the pocket of his jacket, in it the needed gum to calm his nerves. A habit he had since his High School time and one which he couldn't get rid of, but he always said to himself, 'Better chewing gum than drinking yourself to death'. Paul always thought to himself.

He unwrapped the little stripe of pure chemistry and put it into his mouth. The Instant taste of spearmint, flooded his mind and made him a little bit calmer. Spearmint, it was everytime spearmint and never anything else, he tried other flavors, but in the end, it was always spearmint that calmed him down and gave him the concentration he needed.

His wife and daughter almost went crazy about his gum obsession, just his son Michael found it more than amusing when the two female mammals threw a tantrum about this small incidents again. Smiling leaned the colossal buffalo back on his chair and prepared for a question.

"What now? What is that? An identity card or some sort of message? And why the heck, did the youngster knew about him," Paul asked loud into the room.

Simon Bennett, who still collected himself, tried to stay as professional as he could but also he knew that this was no regular case. With noticeable tiredness in his voice, continued the old lion the meeting, "The reason why officer Nakamura and with him a lot of other police officer knew about the killer named 'Kawasemi', is that he is no stranger or better a well-known ghost in this part of the world. Two years ago this card began to appear at various crime scenes, all over the eastern territories and cities. Never could a suspect be found neither was the same mammal seen on the places of crime. And never was he sentenced for his crimes. But this will change now. The attack on the ICOU was the last criminal act this dangerous individual ever did. With this, I announce operation 'Foxcatcher.' We will bring him down, and he will get the punishment he deserves."

"Einverstanden. But how do we know that this is the same criminal like in the other cases when he was never seen before? How do we want to start the whole operation? We have no lead, we have nothing, if I remind you of my words from before," Otto Gernach said, who was back in his role as an investigator, after he had finally overcome his anger about the, in his eyes until this point, failed investigation.

"Yes, I know we don't have much... But, please take out the photo of the kingfisher and turn it around," Bennett and looked, as if he hoped that everyone would believe what was standing on the backside. All mammals red the words written on the clear white paper with a fine handwriting. All of them needed more than one read to believe that it was a poem.

 _Calm reddish demon_

 _smiling he creeps to you too_

 _quick comes his last gift_

"A...haiku? This gets stranger from minute to minute...," Camila Sanchez said and started again to read the short poem.

Short and mysterious and with that, nothing for Paul. He liked hard pieces of evidence and clear statements, but this? No matter how much he tried to ban the thought but this reminded him more and more of a typical 7 class English lesson, where the topic today was poems or better, the interpretation of haikus. God, he hated this crap. Twenty mammals sitting in a room and discussing what the writer could have meant. Damned, had the writer made a clear statement, everyone would know it. No, those guys needed to be unique, they needed attention. And now we sat here and had to discuss what a killer could have meant with his words.

"Okay, so we can assume 'he' is a male fox, I can't think of any other red or reddish mammal, besides a red panda but this would be even more ridiculous than a fox. But what does he mean with 'last gift'? That makes no sense to me," said Paul to every other mammal in the room.

"Death. That is what all of his victims have in common, and that is what he meant with 'last gift,'" Arthur replied and crossed his arms. Paul, now more than interested about the new participant in the conversation, turned with a smile to the grey wolf and said teasingly, "Now look at that, who had thought that Smarty McSmartypants is now working with us? And what does the whole damn thing mean? Why did he write something like this in the first place?" Arthur started his explanation with a smile, he understood what the buffalo did and was not offended by his words, "He wants to make fun of us and the police, that's all. There is no deeper meaning."

"What do you mean with this?" Paul asked confused and turned now his complete body around to the wolf, still chewing on his gum. Arthur stood up and walked up to the front and stopped shortly before Bennett, making himself ready to talk to the whole crowd. But before he looked to his boss and asked, "Sir, can I make a suggestion?"

The old lion smiled about the grey wolf and said, "I heard that the agencies in Zootopia handle things sometimes very 'different', but maybe this is what we need this time. Please, go on."

Arthur nodded and went on with his explanations. This indeed was a rather unusual way of discussing a new case, but in Zootopia it seemed to be that this was standard. Paul watched the procedure for a moment and understood how the this would work. The one who had an idea went in front and explained it to everyone, no matter which rank or position the agent had. Arthur Lynch crossed his arms, looked shortly to the ground and started after gathering his thoughts. All eyes laid now on him and waited for his explanation.

"What do we know until now? We have to deal with a fox, presumably an over the average shooter, he also is over average in using camouflage, and he is in general good at pretending to be someone else otherwise, he couldn't do this for years without being caught. Can we agree on this?"

A nodding went through the rows of mammals, together with some murmured words. Jiro had started to make notes, like most of the other foxes did as well.

"Good... next thing... Until now he made no mistakes. At least none from which we know," the fox who sat beside of Paul Duncan raised his paw and looked quite puzzled.

"But Lynch-sama, witnesses saw him. I would call this a major mistake."

Arthur pointed with his paw to the fox and said, "That is correct, but I think that this was intentional."

"What? Intentional? Why can't we just assume that he made a mistake, like everyone else? He is not perfect, dios mio...," Camila Sanchez said with crossed arms, she didn't hide the fact that she wasn't 100% sure with Arthur's assumptions.

"Why should he? Kawasemi revealed that he existed in the first place, maybe no one here would be aware of him until now if he didn't leave his business card on crime scenes in the past. He was the one who attacked the office in the middle of the day, and he went out of the main entrance, not because he forgot, no Kawasemi did this because he wanted to be seen," explained Arthur and looked in the dazzled faces of a dozen other mammals.

Frank Gernach, who was for his conditions quite calm, nodded and said, "Mr. Lynch is right. All that he said makes sense. Our enemy is not someone who overestimates himself. No, worse, he is someone who knows his abilities, and what is even worse he knows his own limits."

Both paws and index finger of Arthur Lynch raised to make a statement, "But...but we don't know what his motives are, why is he here? Why does he kill all these agents? There must be a reason, and we need to find it or at least some kind of motivation. My suggestion is that most of us agents went through the old cases and searched for anything that could help us. Look out for reappearing names, special Yakuza families, places and so on, I think you know what to do. And guys,...I know I'm just the new one here but we will find him, and he will get what he deserves."

Another wave of nodding went through the rows of mammals in the little conference room, followed by mumbling. Slowly but continuously spread something like enthusiasm under the members of operation 'Foxcatcher'. It was not much, maybe just a spark but it could still be enough for this mammals, that they work with all of their heart and soul for this case. And if they needed anything more than a suspect, then it was the will to find him.

"And what will you do, Arthy?" Paul Duncan asked with a smile. The grey wolf grinned back at the black buffalo and answered, "Well 'Paul', we both will take a more in-depth look at the crime scene and try to find anything we can use for our investigation. What do you say? Ready for some good old detective work?"

Paul scratched his chin with his claw and smiled like a little kid, who was allowed to join the local baseball team for a quick round. Arthur knew he got him.

"Well I think, a little walk around the building shouldn't be too bad," Paul said and turned around to his supporting police officer, "Mr. Fukuhara, you will stay here and help the others with the cases. We don't need two of you."

The fox beside him nodded and folded his paws, Arthur hoped for a short moment that Mr. Fukuhara wouldn't take it to personal but remembered that the mammals in this part of the world were a little bit...well let's say...unemotional. Simon Bennett made a single clap into his paws and used the moment to give some last orders before everyone else would start their workload for today.

 **Arthur**

"Alright, I'm on with Mr. Lynch's side with this one, so for the moment we will follow his lead and look where it gets us. Everyone else, and follow Commissioner Sanada, to conference room twelve, where we will deliver most of the case files. Paul? Arthur? I want from you two a quick report about any findings for tonight and tomorrow morning a briefing of all team members. Thank you and all others you are dismissed for now," Simon Bennett said and packed his belongings together.

"Come on, Jiro. We have work to do," Arthur said to the fox, who nodded and watched how Paul Duncan stood up and stretched his limbs. A new doubt appeared in the mind of the grey wolf, and he turned to Jiro. Carefully, Arthur asked and tried to speak not so loud," Say Jiro, do we get him in the car? If not, we need a bigger vehicle."

Jiro looked at the vast Buffalo and compared his size to the car he got from the police but came finally to the conclusion that it wouldn't fit.

Smiling and in a good mood Paul came over to the two canine mammals, still chewing on his gum. "What's up, guys? Why do you look so confused at me?"

Embarrassed by the question, Jiro tried to avoid eye contact with the buffalo at all costs, but Arthur just grinned and said, "Well, we discussed if we need a truck to bring you to the next location or if you fit in the small car from our officer here. If you want to try to fit in, you maybe need to lose one or two pounds, until we reach the parking lot."

Arthur could swear that for a short moment, stopped the heartbeat of Jiro when the fox waited of the answer from Paul. But again Port Margarete and Izumo were different towns with a different mentality.

Loud and roaring began Paul to laugh about the statement from Arthur.

"Hahaha, you better do find a good vehicle for this precious body, little fox," Paul said to Jiro and hit himself with his right arm on the chest. Confused and embarrassed Jiro walked to the entrance and said before he left, "I-I will ask f-for another car...something...mhm...bigger."

"Good, we will go down to the parking lot and wait there for you," Arthur replied with a smile and watched how the fox disappeared behind the double-doored entrance of the conference room. All remaining agents and their partners in the room gathered behind a red vixen who stood in front of the room. Together they walked to their planned room to work on the old cases.

Paul gave a 'slight' pat on Arthur's shoulder, the wolf almost lost his breath because of Paul's strength.

"Come on, wolfy. Time to go and find a killer." Paul said smiling.

Arthur's back still hurt from Paul's little punch, so he just nodded and went with the buffalo out of the conference room, directly to one of the elevators. They were high up, and it would take a while to reach the parking lot. An excellent chance to have a little talk without police, not that Arthur distrusted Jiro but some talk better remained between agents.

Both mammals walked out of the room and entered the floor, with its bright white walls and the light blue carpet. There were almost no mammals on this floor, just some cleaning personnel, consisting of three young vixens and an older badger lady who permanently talked to the young ones in the foreign language, Arthur understood not what she said but could imagine what she meant. Possible she spoke about what the vixens had done wrong and where to look for more dirt, the young ones never do anything right, not even here. None of the vixen replied, all of them continued doing stoically their work. But honestly, Arthur didn't understood what they were cleaning. The floor was tidy as it could be, so why the stress? East city residents, they took everything a little bit to serious.

Entering one elevator, which was big enough for the Buffalo and the grey wolf, Arthur pushed the button for the ground floor from where you could walk easily to the parked cars. With crossed arms, he looked in the mirror, which was attached on eye level, for the mammals in the right heights. A tired and with headaches tortured wolf looked back at him.

'So, you traveled so far Arthur, to fight crime syndicates and other groups of assholes, just to be thrown back to your old daily work. Find a killer, why must he always find a killer.' And shortly before he could blank out the familiar voice in his head, it whispered, 'Because you are good at it.'

He knew the voice, it was Maria's. The female, who became for him more than a friend. For Arthur, she was like a little sister, that he never had and as she and John, his best friend from days at the police, came together, it was like he also found his little family and they always made clear, that he was more than just a 'friend'. Arthur Lynch was a part of this family. He,

the one who never had anyone and who had promised with a lot of sarcasm to their wedding, that no matter what would come ever out of this unholy connection, he would protect it with its life and no matter what would come.

The attempt to argue against Maria in his mind was there, but he knew that even in his own mind, he couldn't win against her. Not now, not ever and at least not with his still ongoing headache.

"You look tired Arthur, everything good," Paul asked with a little concern in his voice and facial expression. The Buffalo pulled him back from his daydreams.

"Yeah..., just the jetlag, and some headaches. It will get better over the day," Arthur replied and massaged his temples with his right paw. But he knew, the pain would go on till his next round of sleep, and this was still hours away.

"I didn't tell everything, I thought back in the conference room...," Arthur said but kept looking at his mirroring image.

"Listen you don't have to tell me, if you...," Paul replied and shook smiling his head but was interrupted by Arthur, "No! No, I trust you, and I need somebody who trusts me, okay? So, please just listen. I was not always a ZBI, I started my career in the ZPD as an officer and became later a detective. An excellent one I must say. The one thing I learned in this time was this, if there is no evidence at all, you have two possibilities. Either the guy you are searching for is really so good, or he has connections to the police, and I never saw someone so good, in my entire career. Did you?"

Paul didn't answer immediately and searched for the little paper in the pocket of his trousers. Finally, he was able to abandon the small piece of gum, which lost until now all of its flavor. Chuckling he turned to Arthur.

"Ha, I knew it, from the first moment on, you looked more like a cop than an agent. The old grey and worn out suit, more tired than awake and always with a careful look over your shoulder. I know that behavior, once I was also a cop, but after some years as an officer, I made it directly to the local agency and from there to the ICOU. And to finally give you, your answer...No I never saw someone so good. I can feel what you mean, something is off. And it makes me nervous." Paul said, his dark grey eyes looked down to Arthur.

A short silence felt above the two mammals. Arthur saw that the smile from Paul's face vanished and just before the wolf wanted to ask something, Paul began to speak, "You know, why they called so much of us, don't you?"

"Yeah,...attack one of us, and you attack all of us," Arthur answered and shook his head.

Paul put his claws into the pockets of his trousers and continued to talk, "I know Bennett for a long while now, worked a lot of times together with him. Mostly a good mammal, moderate agent but a terrible leader. Three years ago in Catacas, Camila called the ICOU for help against a powerful drug cartel, Bennett 'lead' the whole operation and what should I say...it was a mess."

Bad memories seemed to flood Paul's mind, and like an automatic reaction, he grabbed for the gum in his Jacket, opened it and started to chew on a new stripe. His face was no longer so joyful, he looked more like an old veteran, who saw too much and too many bad things. Arthur assumed that this wasn't even too far from the truth. With moderate speed, passed both agents the 34th floor. Paul exhaled deeply, which filled at the same time the little cabin with the smell of spearmint. It was a pleasant smell decided Arthur.

"At first Camila and I led the search for the plantations, where they produced most of their goods. It took us two months and a lot of interrogations to get the information we needed. So, we worked on a plan to take out all at once, hell even the military was involved. And then one day before we started, Bennett appeared and took the lead. You can imagine, how Camila's and my mood was...he even brought some new recruits with him."

Arthur grinned a little bit and said, "You mean like me?"

"Tse, not even close. You have experience, as an officer, detective, agent...you saw which shit can happen out there. You saw death, maybe even had to shoot someone by yourself but they... Kids, that is what they were."

With crossed arms, Arthur turned to Paul. This time even his beloved gum couldn't drive away the demons of the past, that hunted Paul's mind but he was professional enough to end his story.

"Well, what should I say. Bennett had the lead, we go in and then all went south from there on. Two of the recruits gets shot in front of Bennett and lost control over himself and with that over the whole operation. Damned, for 15 minutes we were completely headless, and then Camila took the lead back where it belonged but it was too late, the cartel boss has escaped. Two months of work for nothing. At one point I had to drag even Bennett out of the combat zone, or he would have died too. In the end, 12 mammals died, 27 were wounded, and the last recruit was captured by the cartel boss and held hostage...If everything goes smoothly in a mission, then Bennett is as good as everyone else, but as soon as hell breaks loose, you are better on your own."

The elevator was almost on the ground floor, but for Arthur ended the story, not at this point. He turned with a questioning gaze to Paul and asked, "What happened to the recruit and why the hell is Bennett still in a leading position? I thought the death of an agent is really rare?" Paul laughed, but it was a dark and ironic laughter, "He talked it all down, said the preparations weren't 'good' enough and blamed us for his shitty command, at least he didn't mention our names. And we...Well, Camila and I hunted the cartel boss down, another month of work before we finally got him...but...but we came too late to save the recruit...it was since then, that we just take guys like you, someone with experience and enough training. No kids, who would just die for nothing... And yes, the death of an agent is rare, but those are recruits, they don't count into the statistic of the ICOU. You can trust me when I say, that he knew how to keep his paws clean."

"I'm sorry to hear that Paul, I know how that feels, " Arthur said and looked to the buffalo, who just shook his head and replied, "Dead is dead, we have to concentrate on the task that is laying ahead of us, I just wanted you to know about this. Like I said I have a bad feeling about this story here. So, if something happens to me, go to Camila. She is the one I trust the most."

"Why did you tell me that, Paul?" Arthur asked, his past had made him careful, and he knew to get no information was suspicious but to get information without even asking, was just as equally strange. The door of the elevator opened but none of them stepped out of it. Blocking the way out of it, Paul stretched his arm out to keep the door open. With a serious gaze he looked down at the wolf, Arthur didn't even flinched and kept his gaze also on the buffalo.

"I told you that because I like you, okay? You seem to be a reliable mammal and a capable agent, someone who really wants to make this fucked up world a better place and not someone who just does this job for his own reputation. That's why I told you and because I have this feeling."

"This feeling?" Arthur asked, but Paul grunted just as a reply.

Arthur stood quietly, he just kept looking at Paul and nodded. An acknowledging smile came from the senior agent, and the two were clear with each other. No more words needed.

Both agents walked out of the elevator into the vast and impressive entry hall of the police headquarter in Izumo. The front of the entry was at least twenty meters high and made entirely out of glass and steel, behind it followed a relatively big aisle, which was bordered on each side by little waterfalls that went from the glass roof down to the floor and ended into a small lake. Hundreds and hundreds of colored koi fishes in all sizes and shapes swam in this little lake which you could cross over a wooden bridge. Everything in here was neatly worked out and correctly assembled.

A visitor who entered this building for the first time had mostly the impression to be in one of the old wooden temples, that you could find all over the eastern cities. The ones that primarily worshipped nature or ghosts which the mammals believed to live in this area of the world. The number of cults and believing groups of them was only exceeded by a large number of demons, ghost, gods and other mythical creatures, which lived in their beliefs all over the world and interacted in good and bad with all the mammals.

When Arthur looked around the hall, he understood why it was built so precious. It was just what a lord or daimyo wanted for his workplace.

But the longer you stood in this hall, the more you recognized the modern parts, like glass, steel and concrete material. For example, it followed after the wooden bridge a hard cut to a concrete floor, with the possibilities to sit and wait and right beyond was the reception with four neatly dressed vixen. All of them ready, to aid visitors or guests to the right floor. One of the four recognized the opening elevator and strolled over to Paul and Arthur.

Both stopped as soon as they saw that she was walking up to them. A quick look from Arthur and he estimated that she was not older than Jiro with his 20 years. The red vixen was clothed in the typically female police uniform of Izumo, which was made of a long tight blue skirt, a blue blouse and a small blue hat, that never seemed to move, not even then, when they bowed slightly in front of somebody, and they bowed a lot over a day, here in the eastern territories.

And also this time should be no different, as soon as the vixen stood in front of the two agents, she folded her paws, laid them on her thighs and bowed down. Calm and slowly started she to speak, "Lynch-sensei, Duncan-sensei. I wanted to inform you, that Nakamura-san will soon arrive in front of the building with a bigger car. He will pick you up from here. Please, take your time and wait here for him."

A quick look on her nameplate and Arthur nodded down to her, "Thank you, Haruno-san," She ended her bowing, stood for a short moment in front of the two and showed them a perfectly trained smile. Without looking back, she returned to the three other vixens.

The buffalo slowly walked with the grey wolf to the entrance of the building, making a stop on the bridge, leaning on the wooden railing and watching the koi fishes, acting like fish act generally with swimming, eating and a little bit of more swimming. This was another thing that Arthur didn't understand, why was someone keeping this fishes? They are doing basically nothing, but he had to admit that the colors were quite gorgeous.

"Okay Paul, you told me about Camila and that she's trustworthy, what is with the Gernach brothers?" Arthur asked.

Arthur did as if he didn't know exactly the names of the remaining agents, but of course, he did. Over the years, he heard all the stories of them, but the one from Duncan over the failed operation was even new to him. He guessed that it was one of those things, you didn't like to talk about.

Paul turned around and leaned with his back against the wooden railing, for short moment Arthur had the fear, that it wouldn't hold his weight but this was just his negative attitude, nagging in the back of his mind. The black buffalo crossed his arms and started to talk, "Otto and Frank are reliable agents, but like a lot of us they have an unhappy background. Their father was once also a member but died during an operation. Frank was always the quiet type, give him a mission, and he will fulfill it, his brother is more the madman but also this should be no secret to you. After the death of their father, both promised to work as hard and good as they could for the ICOU, they are almost something like inventory. They are sharp, they strong and they hate to be fouled."

"Thanks for the info, I will keep it in mind," Arthur said and smiled slightly up to the buffalo, but Paul looked concentrated to the glass entrance.

"I think our driver is finally here, Arthy," Paul said and chuckled a bit. Jiro came over to the two agents, looked exhausted but still kept his smile. Maybe he got good news.

"Mr...Lynch...I got...a bigger...car, and I'm sorry for the delay," Jiro said but was totally out of breath. He was panting as if he had run a little marathon.

"Everything fine . . . calm down Jiro, okay?"

And he did...slowly. Jiro nodded to them and led the two agents out of the entrance of the police headquarter and directly in the loud, warm and noisy inner city of Izumo. It was almost 11 am and until now had the town and its residents finally awoken. They walked over to a police troop transporter, and this vehicle looked finally like something, in which Paul would fit in without problems. And he did, you could transport in this thing at least three or four of Paul's caliber.

Like this morning, Jiro took the right side of the vehicle and with this the driver seat. Arthur was fine with his role as a co-driver. Just Paul beefed about his place in the back of the car, "What is this? I can't buckle up! Damned! Safety first my ass!"

"Easy big boy, I don't think that Mr. Nakamura will drive too fast to our aim, right Jiro," Arthur asked smiling to the fox, but he looked as if he became slowly nervous.

"Everything alright Jiro?"

"Yeah,...It's just...ehm...I'm not the best driver." Jiro admitted, and Arthur saw how the ears of the young fox laid back.

"What did he said," Paul asked with a nervous voice from the backside of the transporter, a little bit nervous.

"Everything's fine Paul, he just said he is the best driver of his squad, " Arthur replied with a grin and winked over to Jiro, who swallowed hard but tried his best to keep calm.

"Did he? I understood something else..." Paul muttered from the back of the car. "Yeah, he did. It must be your ears or your age..."

"Haha Arthy, I didn't come this far to die in a damn car, okay?"

Arthur chuckled loud about the whining of the big buffalo and gave Jiro a sign to start their little journey. The fox exhaled deeply before he started the large troop transporter and drove carefully into the daily traffic of Izumo.

A/N: Many thanks to my editor SpaceShipEarth for the great work!


	32. First Results

" _Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect." - Ralph Waldo Emerson_

* * *

 **Arthur**

* * *

With a gentle and steady paw pointed the young fox police officer the gun at the wolf agent of the ICOU but nothing happened. Five minutes passed, and Jiro's paws began slowly to tremble.

"Jiro! Hold the goddamn gun higher! And stop shaking," Arthur shouted at the young fox, who was startled by the loud voice of the wolf but tried his best to fulfill the wish.

"I . . . I'll try . . . Is this better?" Jiro replied and did his best to follow the instructions of the grey wolf. All three mammals stood in the break room of the Izumo department building of the ICOU and searched for pieces of evidence at the crime scene that the CSI team could have overlooked.

Jiro held in his paws his own police gun with a laser attached to its side. It was an idea from Arthur to identify the heights of the killer and the angle from which he had shot the other agents. Good thing, they had a fox with them who was also okay with the idea to play for a short moment the role of the killer.

"Yes, that's better. . . Okay, I would say the suspect was about Jiro's height. Plus-minus some centimeters." Arthur looked at the wall with the holes in it. Three black dots on an otherwise white wall. All three were on eye level, just with the difference that one hole was on the heights of a wolf, one of a tiger and one of a serow.

"Can I take the gun down? I'm not used to holding it calm and steady for such a long time," Jiro asked and looked with pleading gaze to Arthur, who had an annoyed look on his face, but after a few moments, he nodded. With a small sigh, Jiro detached the laser pointer from his gun and put it back into his holster on his right side. After putting his gun away Jiro's posture relaxed and he regained his composure.

"You got all of that, Paul?"

"Sure, but...It's still almost nothing. Yes, of course, we know the guy is around Jiro's heights, but that's all, and I guess Jiro has an average height for a fox. We have no paw prints, no fur, no sign that anything would be missing. So, what did our culprit do for twenty-five minutes in this building? And for the sake of the three goddesses, please tell me what is this terrible stench?" Paul asked and went to a window. With a quick movement of his claw, he opened it, and fresh air streamed into the room. Jiro wanted to answer, but Arthur who was still concentrated on the holes in the wall didn't see that he wanted to speak and spoke before him.

"This place was sealed since the CSI team had left and what you smell is the stench of ink from a copy machine. You don't do much paperwork, do you, Paul?" Arthur said and turned with a grin to the big black mammal. Visibly ashamed, Paul turned to the window and leaned on the frame, breathing fresh air while he murmured," I have co-workers for such things...stupid wolf."

"Okay let's come together and discuss this whole incident and our findings," Arthur said and sat at the kitchen table. Jiro sat beside him and Paul tried to sit down as careful as possible for a buffalo. As always, Jiro folded his paws and listened.

"Jiro what did you find on the second floor?" Arthur asked and took a small book and pen out of his jacket. Jiro, however, sat ready with notebook in his paws and began to speak.

"Second floor. Checked six rooms in total. Three offices, one room which seemed to be used as an archive and two toilets, one for males and one for females. No broken windows, no signs of theft and no signs of damage or intrusion," Jiro said with a smile and closed the notebook which had a metal spiral in it.

"So, you have found nothing, correct?" Arthur asked again. For a second time, Jiro opened his notebook and looked over his notes, checking if he hadn't forgotten anything.

"Yes, that is correct," the fox answered and sat on his chair, obviously happy about himself.

"Damned...Paul? Please, tell me you found something suspicious?" Arthur looked over to the buffalo but already saw the disappointment in his face.

"Sorry, but to make it short. Nada, nothing ...not even a mysterious red hair...Well, if we don't mind this damned smell of ink." Paul said and held again his claw cupped in front of his muzzle. Muffled by his claw, Paul added, "What is with you, Arthur?"

"Nothing, he didn't touch the weaponry, not the evidence chamber and nothing is broken or even moved. Even the safe was unbroken, whatever this thing contains," Arthur said and leaned back in his chair, beginning to stare at the ceiling to let his thoughts circulate for a moment. Clues and ideas filled his mind, but he couldn't get a clear image of the whole incident by now and of the most critical question.

'What had Kawasemi done in here for almost half an hour?' Arthur thought, but Paul's rough voice pulled fastback from his dream world.

"They store encrypted files in this thing, like a folder with the information of all members, numbers to call during an emergency, evacuation plans, money, passes and so on. Even if someone would steal them, nobody could decrypt them. Just the leader of each office know the codes, and the one for this branch couldn't say anything," Paul explained, and silence came above the small group for a moment.

"Is it impossible to get the information for opening that thing? What do you say?" Arthur asked, and Paul replied after some seconds, "I wouldn't say impossible, the codes to the safes come from the HQ in Oxford over a secure line. So . . . Yes, it's possible but difficult."

'But Paul is right. Kawasemi couldn't use the information from the leading mammal. They were all killed by surprise and together in one quick chain of events,' Arthur considered for a moment and tried for the last time to find any useful information here.

"Okay let's summarize, he came in, he walked to this room, he shot all three mammals in under one minute and did what for the next twenty-five minutes in this building? I have no idea." Arthur said while he stared at the same point of the ceiling. Something was bugging him, but the wolf couldn't point his finger on what was missing. It felt like a clue he was holding in his paws but didn't know what he should do with it.

Even Jiro let his ears hang in disappointment, at least until a roaring sound made Arthur and Jiro turn towards the Buffalo. The noise was close to the noise a savage mammal would do, or so Arthur thought, even so, he had never heard one in his life.

"What?" Paul asked," I had a bowl of rice plus some vegetables for breakfast. Do you think that keeps me, a grown and good looking buffalo, full for the whole day? We don't come here any further so let us eat something, maybe we get an idea after that." Paul proposed and stood up from his chair, which almost seemed to screech in relief when the massive mammal was gone. Arthur sighed and stretched his limbs until he heard a satisfying crackling sound.

"I guess you are right. Jiro, do you know any good restaurant near us?" Arthur asked and stood. The wolf didn't know why but suddenly Jiro beamed at him with great joy.

"Oh yes, there is a place in the near! It's a Sushi restaurant. I visit the place every Friday, and they are master in their art of making sushi." Jiro said enthusiastically and walked behind the other two mammals out of the room. Arthur was okay with the idea, and Paul was by now hungry enough to eat everything someone would stand in front of him.

The walk was short from the ICOU building to their goal. Just two streets further and they stood in front of the restaurant. The ICOU building just like the restaurant was located in the old northern part of the city, because of this they met mostly mammals from this region traditional Yukatas and Hakamas on the streets. Clothing that was wide and had like many things in this region a strict code of conduct. This part of Izumo was also quieter than what Arthur saw this morning in the center of the city. Somehow, he liked it, the clothes, the traditional living in the streets and the relatively calm, only broken through the sounds of a hammer slamming onto metal somewhere far away in the streets. Arthur couldn't say why but this was something he enjoyed way more than the hectic inner city with those stupid blinking billboards on every building and thousand of mammals beside him.

Five minutes later they stood in front of the restaurant. A wooden house besides even more wooden buildings, with no space between each other. On the little canopy above the entrance stood a sign painted with a red on a white background with multiple symbols on it. Arthur could have to guess that this was the name of the restaurant, but it could also be the name of the family who owns the place.

"What does it say?" The grey wolf asked immediately, still with his puzzled gaze at the sign.

"Katsuragi Sushi," Jiro replied still smiling.

"That's it? No fancy slogan?" Arthur teased the young fox. It was quiet on the streets, and just some foxes in suits walked around the streets and some female wolves in Kimonos.

"Well, our part of the world isn't really known for fancy slogans and catchy sayings," Jiro admitted and continued, "We're better known for hidden meanings in names and cryptic words to describe something."

"Would be enough for me right now, if your part of the world is known for tasty food," Paul said grinning and walked past both of them and right into the restaurant, the other two followed directly after.

The place looked deserted, no one sat at one of the tables. A large room with benches and long tables, as Arthur would say the typical wooden interior for this region laid before them. The warm midday sun flooded the whole room with yellow light, and Arthur could clearly smell the odor of fresh fish and other sea creatures, like tuna, salmon, crab, and if his nose was right – eel. Something he hadn't eaten in a very long time.

In front of the kitchen was a long counter with multiple high chairs to sit on, mostly for mammals who wanted their food directly and without a long waiting period. The place looked rustic or how Jiro would probably put it – traditional.

On the last chair sat a mammal behind a large newspaper. As soon as he heard the approaching steps, the young serow, a mid-sized antelope-like mammal which was typical for the region, put the paper aside and smiled kindly at the new guests.

"Youkoso!"("Welcome!") The serow shouted friendly to them and stretched out his arms. He made a short bow in front of them. Jiro was the only one who bowed back. At first, Arthur and Paul looked confused to each other and then again at the Serow in front of them, who didn't show any signs of irritation. His smile was bright and almost contagious.

"Otetsudai shi maso u ka?"("How can I help you guys?") the serow asked, but Paul and Arthur still looked confused, until Arthur turned himself to the young fox.

"Ehm, Jiro could you...I don't know, maybe speak for us…," Arthur began, and Jiro snapped finally out of his daydream or whatever it was, but the serow in front of them was faster," Ahhh, you're foreigners, right?"

All three mammals looked now astonished at the serow, they never thought to meet someone who spoke their language here in the old town of Izumo. It wasn't really common today to learn other languages in the eastern regions and so anyone who could speak something other than their own language was a little surprising.

"You're lucky to have me as the one who will serve you from my family. I'm the only one who speaks English and likes to travel around the world to see new things. Oh, but I almost forgot to introduce myself." The Serow stopped his talk for a moment. Arthur would estimate the age of the mammal of around thirty, but he could also be a little bit older.

"My name is Heishiro Katsuragi, and I'm also the oldest son in the family. Let me guess you three want some delicious food? I'm right at it." Heishiro said and walked around the counter and started to prepare himself.

Arthur, Paul and Jiro didn't move until Heishiro shouted, "Come on guys, you pay for food and not to stand around like some statues."

"You heard the mammal," Paul said smiling and pushed the two predators to the counter. Everyone took a high seat and watched how Heishiro began to form small rice balls in his claws and shouted something into the kitchen, which Arthur didn't understand.

Not even a half minute later, a young Serow girl in a pastel yellow Kimono, which seemed to be Heishiro's sister, walked behind the counter and served all three water. She smiled, bowed and disappeared into the kitchen as fast as she came.

"Arigatou Tanaka-chan," Heishiro shouted back into the kitchen, the smile on his lips did not vanish even for a second before he continued to speak, "You guys look hungry, let me tell you something. I'll prepare a little bit of everything for you, so your little fox buddy over here and I don't have to translate the whole menu for you."

"As long as I leave this building full and satisfied, I'm all in for this idea," Paul said and grinned to the serow, rubbing his claws together. Meanwhile, Arthur took a closer look around in the restaurant. There was absolutely nobody here.

"That's what I wanted to hear and…," Heishiro turned from Paul directly to Arthur and spoke on, "...Okami-san, you don't have to search for other customers. There will be no one other than you. Well, at least until 5 pm or later."

Arthur turned back to Heishiro and smiled at him, "Let me guess? Tradition?"

"You've got it. Lunchtime is from 11 am to 1 pm, supper from 5 pm to 9 pm and then...well let's say it's open until the last Sake went cold," Jiro explained and sighed, "Around this time of the day, only tourists get lost here in the northern district of Izumo. It's one part of the town that is still very traditional. But if this part of the town is not traditional enough for you, there's still the east."

A dirty smile was around Heishiro's muzzle when he put an excellent piece of salmon on the workbench before him. Without looking to his right, he drew a long and sharp looking knife from a nearby case. His movements were fast and fluent when he shoved the knife with high precision through the meat of the dead fish. All three mammals watched in astonishment how the cook prepared their meal.

"The east?" Arthur turned his head to his fellow police officer and saw that Jiro had the glass in a tight grasp. His eyes focused on the water in front of him. Confused, Arthur turned to his left and asked the fox, "Jiro, what district is in the east? Jiro? Everything alright?"

"You must forgive him, not everyone in this town can speak so bluntly about the red light district. Social restrictions, shame, and again tradition, this town is full of it," Heishiro said, and none of the three awaited an answer form Jiro.

"I...I was already there!" Jiro shouted suddenly and without raising his gaze from the water in his paws. All eyes went instantly to him, "...I...I mean not w-what you think. I was on patrol...with another officer...not alone or for...amusement."

A grin flashed over the faces of the remaining mammals, at least before Arthur tried to calm the young fox down, "Geez, Jiro. It's okay, we get it. Nothing happened, and everything is fine. Don't worry no one here would judge you."

Jiro just gave a node as a reply and remained quiet for a long time.

"So, what are a fox, a wolf, and a buffalo do around here in the afternoon in a sushi restaurant in the old town of Izumo? Sightseeing?" Heishiro asked while he started to cut cucumbers and pumpkins in smaller pieces.

'Quite the talkative guy, our friendly cook. But he seems to be honest, maybe he just likes to talk to other mammals,' Arthur thought to himself before he began to explain.

"The Buffalo to my right is Special Agent Paul Duncan, the embarrassed Police Officer to my left is Jiro Nakamura, and the wolf in front of you is Agent Arthur Lynch. Nice to meet you," Arthur said and smiled over to the cook, who stood just now the first wooden plates with Sushi in front of the three mammals. One for each of them. Jiro and Arthur got pieces with tuna, salmon and different vegetables. Paul, however, got just the vegetarian version but to his luck much more than the two predators combined.

Before Arthur and Paul could even separate their chopsticks, Jiro had his paws pressed flat together in front of his chest. A little bow followed along with a word neither Arthur nor Paul knew.

"Itadakimasu!"

Without any more distraction, Jiro began to eat and Paul, as well as Arthur, followed his example just seconds later. The sushi was delicious and just what Arthur needed right now. He guessed that the nearby ocean did its fair share providing this great taste to the fish. If Arthur could bet, he would say that these fishes were swimming this morning still through the sea. After he emptied half of his plate, Heishiro began again to speak.

"I guess you're members of the ICOU then?" Heishiro said but didn't look up. His gaze was once again concentrated on the task in front of him. Paul who still struggled to eat with the chopsticks and finally decided to pick the food with his claws replied.

"What makes you think that?" Paul asked before he ate three more of the roles, the serow had made for them. Even now, Heishiro just continued to grin and talk on. Arthur liked the guy who prepared their food. He was talkative, in a good mood and he seemed to know what he was talking about. Maybe he could be useful for some information about the town from a local resident.

"There are exactly three kinds of mammal who walk into this shop with guns. At first, Police Officers like Mr. Nakamura over here, who visit this establishment every Friday around the same time, if I remember correctly. Second, members of the ICOU like you two, they came every Thursday from the nearby ICOU office," Heishiro said and looked for a moment up to the ceiling to remember better what he wanted to say, "Yes...always Thursday, and there were always three of them. A tiger who seemed slightly older than the other two, maybe their boss. A wolf with dark grey fur and female serow like me with brown fur and the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen on a mammal. A shame what happened to them...Especially to her."

A moment of silence before Arthur rose his head and looked directly to Heishiro, "What is the third kind of mammal?"

Heishiro looked dreamily into the air but snapped out of it just seconds later.

"Sorry, I was lost in thoughts. What did you say?" Heishiro replied and took his knife back into his right claw, continuing to slice fish in small filet pieces.

"You said there are three kinds of mammal who walk with a gun into this restaurant. What is the third kind?" Arthur asked. His wooden plate was by now empty, and he gave it back to Heishiro, who took it. For a moment, both mammals, Heishiro and Arthur, were locked onto each other with their gaze.

"Yakuza," Heishiro answered and gave his guests a little smile, "The only other mammals besides Police and ICOU, who enter this place with a gun...but most of the times they have swords."

"Swords?" Paul asked in utter disbelief and had finished his plate at the same time as Jiro did. The buffalo looked with high curiosity to the cook in front of him.

"Oh yes. You know there are still a lot of blacksmiths around this town, who are trained in the old art of creating Katanas, Tantos, Wakizashi or knives. Folded multiple times to make the blade harder than normal steel and sharpened by special methods to make the edge sharper than a razor blade," Heishiro explained and showed the three his knife with which he worked the whole time. The blade was dark and had a pattern of waves on the surface of the metal. Almost at the end of the blade, where the knife went over to the hilt, it had the same symbols cut into the metal like the ones who stood in huge letters over the restaurant.

"Could the ICOU members be killed by a member of the Yakuza?" Arthur said loud and laid his right paw on his chin.

"I don't know, how did they die? Yakuza have mostly a special way to kill mammals. In most cases, it's not about just killing a mammal but about sending a message." Heishiro said. Arthur took a quick glance at Paul, who seemed to understand. The buffalo nodded back. Arthur knew it was better to get the approval from a higher ICOU agent to tell civilians intel about a case.

"All three mammals were killed with a clear shot to the head. Any resemblance to Yakuza killing methods?" Arthur asked and tried to lower his voice, even so, he knew there was no one besides them in the restaurant.

'Caution never killed anyone.' Arthur thought.

"I can tell you for sure, that your killer was with a hundred percent no Yakuza," Heishiro said and took the last and empty plates which stood before them and put them all in a sink behind the counter.

"And why is that, and what do you mean with a message?" Arthur asked. Heishiro who looked up to the ceiling as if he would search for the answer in the wooden plates, while he cleaned his claws with a towel. A deep sigh came from the Serow before he started to talk.

"They attack only when one of their own members is attacked or their business is attacked. And they only kill their victims with a sword or another edged weapon but just the one who did it never more, to send a message not fight with them again. They use swords and knives because they believe there's no pride in using a gun. Why should the ICOU attack the local Yakuza, when not even the police or the Noble families want to fight them?" Heishiro sighed deeply before he casually added, "Anyway, this ICOU incident happened at the worst possible time. I mean this whole town is almost at the brink of war."

"Did you say war?" Arthur said confused, and also Paul leaned in closer to follow the conversation. Jiro, however, sat as stiff as a candle on his seat and listened to the talk with his face as calm as the surface of a lake

"How do I start," Heishiro asked himself and tapped with the tip of his claws against his forehead, trying to find a start for the conversation.

The tapping stopped, and he looked at the grey wolf with his green eyes and the big buffalo.

"Do you know about the battle of Sekigahara and what happened afterward? I mean about the Noble families and the Yakuza?" Heishiro asked with a worried face.

"Not about the noble families or the Yakuza but Jiro explained a lot to me about the past of the eastern cities and how the Sanada clan became something you call the daimyo of this city," Arthur said, and Jiro nodded eagerly to this, a light smile around his muzzle.

"Excellent work Mr. Nakamura and what is with you, Mr. Duncan?" Heishiro said, and Arthur saw how the smile was back on his face.

"Oh, I had to work in this town before, and from this, I know the most interesting pieces about its past. But I guess it's never bad to learn something new." Paul explained and it seemed as if he meant what he said. Delighted about this development because of the fact that he didn't have to explain too much more, Heishiro cleared his throat and began to speak.

"As you maybe know, only four powerful daimyos or lords how you would call them returned from the battle of Sekigahara. Well, those four are the ones who would become the government and the guards of their cities. In this town, in Izumo, Yukimura Sanada became the head of the guards but gave the power to rule over to a council of noble families. But there were other Noble families, not as high as the others but still respected and deeply connected to their town. What should they do from now on? When the endless wars and the bloodshed was over? Well most of them turned towards the economy, trade, banks, and science. They built the foundation of the large corporations that you see all over the Eastern states nowadays, they're all founded and led by old families. One large group of mammals remained after the events of Sekigahara." Heishiro explained and supported himself by placing his claws on the table in front of him.

"Which one?" Paul asked, and all could see the spreading smile on Heishiro's face.

"The Ronin. Wandering Samurai and Warriors who knew nothing else but fighting."

"Ronin? Never heard of them," Arthur said and leaned back with crossed arms in front of his chest. He believed the mammal in front of him, but this history was so far from his own life as possible.

"You would call them dogs of war, mercenaries or simply sell swords but with the small difference being that honor meant something to them. Once sworn to a Lord, only death could free them from their contract and it doesn't matter if it was their own death or the death of their master." Heishiro explained and made a short break, "Now, what should such mammals do that had no longer any meaning in life you ask? Some became Guards of the Noble families but most of them lived for the fight. So they continued with what they knew and what they knew was fighting, but this time among each other. At first, everyone was for themselves, a deathmatch if you will, but over time families began to emerge from these warriors but there was one big difference to the Noble families. Members of the Yakuza are not bound by blood instead they are bound by the trust in each other. And there you have it, the three parts of this town, the noble families, the police under the Sanada clan and the Yakuza. The good, the evil and something in between but whose who...well this changes depending on the time and mammal who takes action. It's not official but in reality, those three parts are here to balance each other or at least they should…," Heishiro said and looked around in the restaurant.

"They should?" Arthur asked. Before he looked at how Heishiro looked over the restaurant. The other two did the same not long after Heishiro's example.

Heishiro signaled them to come closer to him, and he continued whispering, "It's said it will bring bad luck if you speak too loud about this, but six weeks ago one of the two most powerful Yakuza families was completely wiped out. Just the one-year-old daughter of the clans head survived the attack. But the clan itself is dead. No one with power is left, and the other Yakuza want now what's left, together with the local police and the noble families. Like my father would say, a storm is approaching, and it will bring death and destruction with it."

"What other family did this?" Arthur whispered back.

"No enemy family… One mammal did this."

"What? One mammal? What is his name?" Arthur whispered back at the cook, but he had the feeling as if he already knew what the answer would be.

"Kawasemi," Heishiro replied in disgust, and Arthur saw how Jiro's paws began to shake. Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the loud and old voice of another serow.

"Ofisu ni kite. Purinta mata kowaretanda yo!"("Heishiro? Could you help me in the office, the printer is again not working!") A voice bellowed from upstairs. Heishiro, however, rolled with his eyes and replied, "Hai ikimasu."("Yes father, one moment please.")

Heishiro didn't look at the three mammals and said, "My father needs some help in his office, but afterward I'll make you three some tea, and then you can tell me something about you. I'm always eager to hear where foreign guests come from, well...to find new places to travel."

Before they could say anything else, Heishiro was already gone. Arthur sighed and turned to his right.

"We should keep that info about the killed mob boss in mind. Do you think this has anything to do with our case?" Arthur asked the Buffalo who replied immediately and just seemed to have wait for the question of the wolf, "You can bet your grey and scruffy tail on that, or my complete name isn't Paul Frederic Duncan!"

"Frederic, heh?" Arthur asked with a grin, but Paul just rolled his eyes, "Yeah a gift from my dad. He was a strange guy...forget it."

"Too late buddy, this wolf forgets nothing, Paul. Besides, we still have time until our tea arrives. So how is the great Paul F. Duncan in private? I heard stories about you but just about the agent who took down hundreds of criminals. Not about the mammal behind the stories," Arthur asked with a teasing smile. Paul didn't react immediately, and for some time he sat just there and looked at his claws with a smile on his face. He then began to tell his story.

"Ahh...you know the Paul Duncan behind all this agent thing is just a normal guy. Boring in most parts I would say. Loving husband for twenty-four years and soon Amber and I can celebrate our silver wedding anniversary. I'm such a love drunk fool even after all this time, I already prepared our second honeymoon for next year. Just the two of us for two long weeks in a cabin in Eisland." Paul said with a soft smile on his muzzle, but Arthur almost choked on his water and began to cough like crazy. Jiro was startled about the sudden coughing but began quickly to pat on the back of Arthur until the attack was over. As soon as he could talk again, the wolf turned to Paul asked confused, "Eisland? *Cough*, why would anyone want to make holidays on that cold and forsaken island in the northern ice sea?"

"Well, at first Port Margaret has the best weather with at least 20 °C all year round and we wanted a change from that. Also, me and my wife, alone for two weeks in a cabin at the end of the world, with a hot spring directly in the backyard? I tell you, we know what to do...catching-up on twenty years of marriage which I have lost through this damned job. Don't get me wrong, I love doing this, but it took so much of my family life. Besides…," Paul began.

"Besides?" Arthur asked and saw that this dreamy smile was again on Paul's face.

"... Amber always wanted to see the Aurora Borealis, she said if she sees that thing she can die in peace and what should I say? There you can see it every day. Just the two of us in a hot spring at night, holding each other and looking at this majestic spectacle in the sky? I would say it's worth the long travel."

Arthur looked at the glass of water he held with both of his paws, "Yeah, you're probably right."

Just for a moment, Arthur remembered the wedding of John and Marie. And how dreamily John had looked at Marie when he spoke his vow to her in front of all the guests and the priest, who spoke the blessing of the three goddesses above the two. John's face was the same as Paul's just moments ago.

'That must be true love Arthur, something you know just shit about,' The grey wolf thought to himself and he tried to cover up this short flash of a bad mood by switching the topic.

"But tell me Paul, a Casanova-like you are for sure father of some children, Am I right?" Arthur said. The buffalo began instantly to searched for his wallet and took out a photo. Paul handed it over to Arthur, but before he could take it, Heishiro returned behind the corner and snatched the small picture out of Paul's claw.

"Oh, what for a cute little family. Not bad big boy," Heishiro said grinning and poked Paul against his muscular upper arm. Another roaring laughter echoed through the restaurant.

"Hah! You two can bet your fur on that! I'm the proudest father of the two greatest children ever. My son Michael is nineteen, and he will soon go to college and be a star football player, I tell you that. My little angel, Annie, has still some years to go until she leaves home. But soon, I'm done with the ICOU, and I'll get my post as the Assistant Director of the Port Margarete Intelligence Service, and then I can hopefully have more time with my family," Paul said, a bitter smile appeared on his muzzle, and when he saw Arthur's questioning gaze he began instantly to explain himself.

"Like I said Arthur, don't get me wrong. I love to get the bad guys, but I lost so many precious moments with my wife and kids, that it hurts. During Annie's birth, I was in the south of Midland, trying to fight against the local Mafia, I didn't even know if I would ever hold my own daughter in my arms. But that wasn't the only thing I missed, Michaels first words, all the things my wife had to take care of or even the death of my father. I missed so much of my family live, and I would love to go on as an agent, but I had to make a decision. This will be my last mission, Arthur but please don't tell Camila anything about it . . . until now she doesn't know, and I want to tell her." Paul said with a smile. Arthur looked up at the impressive buffalo and remembered all the stories he and John heard about him. This was at a time when John and Arthur sat in the same ZPD car, a donut in one paw and a coffee in the other, blabbering about all the things that happened in the world. Without much thinking laid Arthur his paw on Paul's thigh because the shoulder of the buffalo was just too high up.

"Believe me, Paul, if just half of the stories are true about you then you have earned your retirement. You did enough for the world, I think it's time that you do something for yourself now." Arthur said. He then looked over towards Jiro and Heishiro and saw them both giving satisfied smiles. They would've said similar things had they known what this mammal had all done to make the world a better place, Arthur was sure of it. The wolf also recognized that Heishiro was right now busy to pour hot water into three brown teacups.

"Ha, thanks wolf. You're a good mammal. I hope you also have someone in your life? You know what I mean, someone special who's there for you?" Paul asked and waggled his eyebrows at his new friend, his good mood was back and maybe stronger than before.

"Heh, I know what you mean but to be honest, I have two important mammals in my life." Arthur said and saw how Paul's face went from bewildered to confused and then again back to bewildered, "Okay wolf, at first you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention."

It was now on him to show something, Arthur grabbed in the inner pocket of his grey suit jacket. Directly beside his gun, his wallet was waiting for him. He took out a similar small picture and gave it to Paul. The smug grin on his face changed again to a confused expression.

"Those two are my family, Marie, and John. I guess I have to explain a little bit about this. I began my career in the ZPD, to be exactly in Precinct One of Zootopia. The officer who taught me everything about being a cop was an old buffalo like you, maybe that's the reason why I took a liking to you. His name was Lieutenant Gerald Bogo . . . Tse, one of the toughest mammals, I ever met in my life. You would've liked him, I'm sure of it. I think I heard something about his son and that he'll try to take on the legacy of his father. Let's see where he'll end." Arthur explained and he could feel how all mammals around him listened to what he said. Heishiro placed right now a cup of tea in front of every guest. The smell of the tea was strong, and he could clearly smell the herbs in it, something he usually disliked, but he also knew that it was essential to try new things, Marie told him more than once.

"He died?" Paul asked, and Arthur saw the honest grief in Paul's eyes. Arthur understood that the buffalo knew what it meant to lose good mammals on the streets, mammals who risked their lives to fight for the law. Arthur nodded and replied, "Yeah, he did. Gerald Bogo was something like the old guy who introduced the young ones to the harsh realities of the streets. He was the reason why I and many other survived for so long. In the end, he died protecting two mammals during a bank robbery. For me, this old and stubborn buffalo was a hero…," Arthur said, and a short silence came over the mammals around him.

"Anyhow! After a while, I got my own partner. Young, hyperactive, overachieving or in short a pain in the ass. We had our fights, our victories and our loses together and somehow this idiot, by the way, it's the guy on the right of the photo, became my best friend. Three years we spent together in the force, until one day he came grinning to work, with two application papers in his paw," Arthur said and took a sip from the still warm tea. It was bitter but refreshing. Arthur continued by imitating his friend John, "Hey, Arthur! Look at this! They're searching for new agents in the ZBI! What do you say? Want to kick the asses of some crime bosses?"

Arthur made another break and drunk another sip, he got more and more the hang for this tea, but he couldn't say for sure what he liked so much about it.

"At first, I thought he was joking, and I rejected the idea completely, but after a while, I thought, why not? I was not too old, hell I could do everything I wanted. So we filled out our applications and were accepted to the ZBI academy. It was there that we met Marie for the first time. Stubborn, cheeky and too intelligent for her own good. She was like a storm, and I loved her from the first minute I saw her...but not how you may think...she was for me always like the young sister I never had. You know, like John was always the younger brother I never had. But those two? Tse, they were in love the moment their eyes met for the first time. I should've counted the times we were in trouble because the two wanted to have some private time together and I lied for them or made up something. They had the hots for each other, and everybody who saw them knew that." Arthur looked to the ceiling and made a short break but continued, his audience was eager to hear more. Paul gave the photo over to Heishiro, who looked at it with a big smile before he passed it onto Jiro. The fox took just a short glance at the three mammals on the photo and laid it back in front of Arthur.

"You can guess, right? It came how it had to come, they married, right after we finished the academy. I was, of course, John's best mammal, but to the surprise of all her bridesmaid, I was also Marie's choice as her best mammal. The priest said he never had such a situation and Marie just said that she was sure that the three goddesses had nothing against it. In front of the altar and over a hundred other mammals they promised each other, and then they promised me that I'll always be a part of their family and I promised that I would always protect them...No matter what." Arthur explained and drunk the rest of his tea. Paul was looking by now with a miserable gaze at the wolf who just came back slowly from his memories into the real world

"You, my friend, need a mate! I can't bear the thought that you're all alone in Zootopia…," Paul began, but Arthur interrupted him instantly, "Oh please, stop it. You already sound like Marie who tries to pair me off with some of her friends. No thank you, I'm simply not made for romantic relationships, believe me...I tried. One catastrophe after the other and it always ends in tears. I'm good on my own, and maybe someday I find the right one for me...or not. We'll see," Arthur said and leaned on his left, his gaze wandered over to Jiro, who still sat beside him and sipped the tea slowly.

"Say Jiro, what is with you? Is there anybody in your life?" Arthur asked and could see how the young fox tensed up. His ears stood up and he listened carefully to every word. It took Paul not long before he joined Arthur's interrogation of the police officer, "Yeah, right! Come on, Jiro, tell us and we promise not to tell anyone which red furred cutie pie you like, okay?"

Heishiro, Arthur and Paul could feel that they gave the young police officer a hard time and after some minutes of the torture, Arthur decided to end this little game. He laid his paw on Jiro's shoulder and spoke, "Listen, Jiro. It was a joke, you don't…"

"I have someone! And...and you two also know her. She and I...we've been dating for some time now, and we're quite happy together." Jiro said smiling a bit as soon as he talked about her, but he became instantly silent, when he had finished his sentence, his now happy gaze went back to the empty teacup in his paws.

"Sounds great, Jiro. But are you sure that we know her?" Arthur asked and thought about all the vixen to which he had talked today. Jiro was smiling by now and looked up to Arthur before he began to speak, "She's a vixen who works in the entrance area of the police headquarter."

"You mean Haruno?" Arthur asked, and Jiro's tail began instantly to swipe furiously behind him, for the first time he saw the young fox smile brightly.

"Yes, that's her, Satomi Haruno," Jiro said with some pride in his voice. Arthur smiled back at him and replied, "Hopefully, it's not long and she'll be Satomi Nakamura? Right, Jiro."

"I . . . I'm working on that," Jiro replied and turned with a grin to his water.

"Do you see that, Arthur? Even Jiro has someone, now get in gear and search for your better half," Paul said grinning like a little kid. The grey wolf, however, was more than annoyed about the topic. With rolling eyes, he turned to Heishiro and asked him, "So, did your father had big problems in the office?"

"Oh, just the usual printer problem for some bills he wanted to print. The guys who provide the ink were here three days ago and put in the new ink. And you know, if you don't wait and print directly with it your whole office will stink... especially when you have to print a large number of . . . Is something wrong, Arthur? Hey, Agent Lynch?" Heishiro said and shook the grey wolf, but he still stared with widened eyes to the Serow.

Heishiro turned to the other to and asked, "Is he like this a lot?" But the other two just shrugged and looked to Arthur, not knowing what they should do about him.

"Arthur, are you okay?" Paul asked finally, but when Arthur finally began to speak, he ignored the buffalo and spoke directly to Heishiro. He handed the serow a 10,000 Sen bill. Confused looked Heishiro to the money and looked at it before the wolf began to spoke.

"That...that's way too much...Why…," The serow asked and looked up to the grey wolf who stood up from his chair and turned a last time to the cook.

"Take it as a tip because you helped me to come to a conclusion...oh and the food was delicious," Arthur said and ran towards the door. Paul and Jiro still exchanged glances, unsure what they should do until they stood up from there chairs, paid for there meals and followed him. By then, Arthur was long out of the restaurant, over the street and on his way to the ICOU office building. In his mind, he checked his theory over and over. He thought of all the possibilities how it could come to the current events, the deaths and why they happened. Arthur liked not one of the possibilities his brain gave him as an answer.

The old town had almost no traffic, and Arthur could run the two blocks towards his goal in under five minutes. Shortly before he walked up the steps, Paul and Jiro had caught up to him.

"Wait!"

Paul screamed. This was everything the buffalo could do before he tried again to catch his breath. Jiro stood beside Paul as if nothing had happened. There was no fast breathing or any other kind of exhaustion. For a moment, Arthur thought he had seen something in the fox, but he couldn't say what it was, and that made him so curious, and after some seconds he pushed the idea in the back of his head because again he couldn't lay a finger on it.

On the first step of the concrete stairway to the ICOU building, Arthur turned to Paul and spoke, "I got it. I finally understood what he did here! Damned, why didn't I came faster to this conclusion!"

"What are you talking about? Explain it wolf, I hate it to be left in the dark," Paul shouted over the small distance. A group of female mammals in colorful Kimonos, consisting of two red vixens and a raccoon, looked with wide eyes at the buffalo but Paul didn't mind. They hurried on when they saw that there came no apology for his rude behavior.

"The ink! The stench you mentioned earlier! That's the clue to what he has stolen and the thing that kept bugging me in the back of my mind!" Arthur shouted back at Paul, but he could just look confused at Jiro, who also seemed to have no idea what was going on.

"Okay...but what did he steal?" Paul asked now calmer.

"Nothing! That's the point, he copied something and took those copies with him. That's the reason the stench was still so bad because they just changed the ink and he used it before the smell could settle, which normally takes around a few days, like in Heishiro's case. There is just one company who produces this ink, they have a monopoly on the stuff and the service. When Heishiro said they just changed it, then you can bet your horns on the fact that the ink company changed another buildings ink which is just two blocks away on the same day. We found no copied papers on any of the workplaces which leads to one conclusion…," Arthur said and stopped, he breathed heavily from the run, the fast talk and the cigarette he wanted to smoke since half an hour ago. Paul, who had finally understood what happened replied, "...that he copied something and disappeared with it and we don't know what he copied. Damned wolf! That's it, but we have no clue what he had copied."

"But I have an idea what it could be," Arthur said and went into the building. Paul and Jiro followed him directly. All three walked through the central corridor, straight into the only room with a copy machine. The stench hit Arthur hard in the muzzle, but it wasn't just the bad smell that bugged him. It was also the guilt he felt for not realizing sooner what happened here.

When Paul and Jiro walked into the room, Arthur kneeled already on the floor and began to disassemble the machine.

"What are you doing with that thing?" Paul asked and watched the wolf with interest. By now, Arthur had already removed the front plate of the machine and searched for something. The grey jacket and his gun belt

"That 'thing', how you call it, will tell us if my assumptions are correct or not. If not we have to wait for the others to find something reliable but if I'm right…," Arthur began to explain but stopped because he had to concentrate on the task in front of him. However, Paul needed to know what the wolf meant and asked again.

"Then what?"

"Then we're fucked," Arthur replied and searched on. He couldn't see the face Jiro made about the curse word he used or Paul's dazzled face.

"What are you talking about… and what the hell are you searching for?" Paul asked forcefully and stepped behind Arthur to better see what the grey wolf was doing there.

"The Counter. Every copy machine has a counter because you pay for the service and for every copied page this machine creates. They reset the counter whenever the service company has his annual check, and this was shortly before the attack. So we'll check . . . Oh shit...," Arthur replied as he looked a the small mechanical counter and became silent before Paul could ask but for once the black buffalo waited.

"How many agents has the ICOU right now on their list as active members?" Arthur asked, and Paul answered almost immediately, " One hundred, . . . Wait don't tell, you think that this guy copied all encrypted information about us agents? That's not possible! Only the higher-ups know the decryption codes and the passcode for the safes. Which number stands on the counter, Arthur!"

Paul was now almost shouting. Arthur knew why he acted like this, why everything changed in the last minutes of their investigation. Paul looked down at Arthur, no emotion on his face, the laughter he had in the restaurant was gone. Right now, there was just Special Agent Paul Duncan and no longer the funny Paul he saw not even twenty minutes ago. Arthur turned with slightly fallen ears to him and spoke, " Ninety-nine."

For a while, Paul stared just at Arthur before the buffalo turned around and walked out of the room. When he had the doorknob in his claw, he said loud to Arthur and Jiro, "I'll wait outside. Pack together, and then we'll return to the Precinct One. There's nothing left for us to do here… I'll make some calls and then we hurry back." Paul's voice sounded rough and cold, nothing like the one he had before. Just for a moment, Arthur wished he hadn't come to this idea, but it was no good. He had to find Kawasemi, no matter what.

Jiro, who didn't seem to understand what happened, turned to Arthur and asked, "B-But the numbers didn't add up, there must be a mistake."

"No it isn't...the numbers are correct, and this leaves just one logical explanation," Arthur said and took the cigarette finally from his right jacket pocket, which he wanted to smoke for the last thirty minutes and held it in his paws.

"But what is the explanation? I don't understand."

"Of course not, Jiro. Because you think like a police officer but try for one moment to think like the killer. Try for one moment to think of a reason why he would copy one less agent than he should." Arthur said and before he lit his cigarette, he took a deep breath while he stood beside the young fox. He knew that smoking in an office building was a bad move, but at this point, he didn't care. However, the young police officer tried to think of something and while the wolf smoked his cigarette and watched until he decided to give Jiro a little lecture.

"Okay, Jiro, where do we find the papers he had copied?" Arthur asked and inhaled the last the smoke of his Camel cigarette.

"In the safe over there...which is locked with a code," Jiro replied and pointed his right paw down to the basement where the safe was and where all the additional files were stored. This case became just now, so much more dangerous. Arthur couldn't even imagine how Bennett would react to this new information. Anger? Fear? Perplexity? Retreat? Everything was possible, after the story Paul had told him earlier.

"Good, now how could he open the safe without destroying it?" Arthur asked and stepped on the remainings of his cigarette. It took Jiro a while to answer, and Arthur saw that the young fox thought genuinely about the problem.

"The leader of the local office…," Jiro began his sentence but was interrupted by Arthur, "...was killed together with the other two local agents by a surprise attack. The question is, who gave him the access code to the safe?"

With wide eyes turned Jiro to the grey wolf and spoke, "No way...you think the one additional ICOU copy which is missing is the one who's helping him?"

"I guess...I mean we still have to find Kawasemi to confirm this, but it leaves just one conclusion. We have a traitor among the ICOU agents, and every one of the agents could be here working together with Kawasemi. Come we should go back. Paul was right, there's nothing left for us to do here." Arthur said, and both left the building. Someone else could put the copy machine back together, he had no time for this.

'But there's something even worse we have to consider...but that's something for later, ' Arthur thought for a moment. He opened the door and saw Paul already leaning against the car and waiting eagerly for the two of them. The buffalo didn't say anything, but his gaze was everything Arthur needed to know. The drive back to the Precinct one was silent. No one dared to speak, and whenever Arthur took a look at Paul, he knew that he was worried about his family and a lot of other things. Before they drove into the underground parking lot, Paul began to speak, "I called the HQ that we would come back. Camila will wait for us at the main elevators." after a short break and some seconds of silence, Paul added, "I need to talk to her."

Around 5 pm walked Arthur, Paul, and Jiro from the parking lot, through the colossal entrance Hall and towards the elevators. This time Arthur saw how the gaze of one of the vixens who stood behind the counter turned towards the fox in front of him. Also, Jiro seemed to notice her. A small smile appeared around his muzzle, and their gazes were from that moment onward fixed on each other. Even so, the overall situation was grime, Arthur couldn't hold back a smile when he saw this scene. At the moment the two foxes pass each other, Arthur saw that they nodded with an even bigger smile on their faces to each other.

Paul walked in an incredible speed towards the elevators, almost dragging his two companions along with him, where Camila already waited for them. She was still wearing her grey suit, and a small smile flashed over her face when she saw his old buddy almost running towards her. But this expression didn't last long when Camila saw his face. The large black feline mammal didn't seem to know how to react and just moved on with the other mammals.

The atmosphere in the elevator was for Arthur's feeling way to tense, at least until Paul pushed the stop button between floor number thirty-two and thirty-three. The buffalo looked down to the smaller panther and began to speak in a stern voice.

"Listen, Camila, when these doors open you will go to the next phone you can find and call your family in Catacas. Where is Valeria right now?" Paul asked and left a dazzled female Panther, who searched for any signs of explanation in his face but she couldn't find any trace no matter how much she watched him.

"She...she is with my sister right now...but why? Paul, what is going on here?" Camila asked, her voice sounded as if she demanded an answer from an old friend. Suddenly, Paul reached with his claws to her shoulder and looked her deep into her eyes. For a moment she was startled and didn't know what was going on, but then she concentrated on the old friend in front of him.

"Do you trust me, Camie?" Paul asked calmly.

"O-of course, but what is this all about, Paul?" Camila asked back and looked this time at Arthur as if she tried to find answers in his gaze, but instead, he gave her just a small node to provide her with a sign and tell her, that whatever Paul said was true and shouldn't be taken lightly. Arthur had no idea what she would make from his reaction but hoped it would help.

"We will explain later everything but for now call whoever takes care of your daughter and bring her somewhere safe, okay? Can you do that?" Paul asked, still his muscular arms on Camila's shoulders.

"Yes, I will do it immediately...but Paul how dangerous is the situation."

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

"I don't know...But, I can tell you that we never had a case like this before. Never." Paul replied, and this time it was Camila who nodded understandingly. She gave him a small smile and laid one of her left paw on his right arm. Paul smiled one last time back before he pushed the button again, the elevator awakened to life again. When the doors opened stood right in front of them a small Vixen, her nameplate indicated that her name was Mio Tanaka but Arthur remembered that she was the vixen who was assigned to Camila. The black panther walked to her, exchanged some words and both walked down the floor but not without giving Paul a glance over her shoulder.

"She's scared, and she hates that, just like me. You see, Camila and I have no problem to go on a mission and risk our lives in the process. That's what we trained for but even more that's why we want to be here, to make this broken world a little bit better. But whoever this Kawasemi is, he crossed a line when he put the lives of my family on the line. That's something I can't accept," Paul explained while they walked down the corridor, towards the conference room of this morning.

When they entered leaned Simon Bennett with his back against a window and nodded towards Paul, to which the black buffalo replied with the same gesture. All of them sat back on the places from this morning. Just now, Arthur recognized that in front of them stood Frank Gernach ready to summarize the findings of the day. Worried and a little bit confused looked the lion who led this operation at first to the door and then to Paul.

"She'll come soon, I heard she has to make a phone call," Paul said, and Bennett nodded. Not even five minutes later and Camila Sanchez entered the room with the red vixen. They took their seat from this morning and gave Frank a sign, that he could start. Everyone was now back in the room, including the Commissioner of Izumo, Yukimura Sanada.

Frank Gernach, a deer in his forties, looked anxiously into the small crowd in front of him, but it needed a final nod from his brother Otto to start the summary of their findings. Arthur could see that he was nervous, his paws were shaking, and every three seconds he went with his tongue nervously over his lips, as if he had the

"H-hello, m-my name is Frank Gernach, and I will give you a quick summarization about our findings to the suspect with the name Kawasemi. Right now, are seventeen open cases known in the eastern cities, which could all be linked to the fox, but none of the other local police teams want to cooperate with us. In none of this cases could a suspect be arrested or even identified. We took a special interest in the event that happened exactly forty-three days ago, during the Hanami festival, at May the sixth." Frank made a small break and turned over a page of beautiful handwriting. Arthur remembered the story about the killed Yakuza family and guessed that this was now an extended version of Heishiro's story.

"Yes, at this day around 11 pm and 12 minutes arrived the local police with four police cars and eleven mammals at the mansion of the Yoshimura family. Those members were Six Fox police officer, three Wolves, and two Serows. They entered the building at 11 pm and 14 minutes, at this moment was all they could find the dead bodies of twenty-three Yoshimura family members and friends. They were all poisoned. Furthermore, could the police find the letter with the confession and the picture of a kingfisher on it. According to the local police, we are not allowed to investigate any further in this case because of local difficulties." Frank closed his folder with the handwritten pages in it, he looked not very pleased with the results, but so did none of the agents who remained here at the Precinct one. Otto Gernach seemed especially pissed with the results of their work, but his face lightened up at the moment his brother came back to their bench.

Arthur could feel how the masses of police officers and the commissioner himself made a disgusted gesture when Frank said they were all poisoned. Arthur understood what they didn't understand.

"Gut gemacht, Frank. Papa wäre stolz auf dich.(Well done, Frank. Dad would be proud of you)" Otto said, and his brother smiled back at him before he sat down and replied, "Danke Bruder. ( Thank you, brother)"

"Fine, second team. Mr. Lynch? Mr. Duncan? Please tell me that you have any new information on this case," Bennett said and looked at the two.

'Tse, you'll wish we have found nothing," Arthur thought and nodded towards Paul that he would take the part of talking. Without waiting any further, Arthur walked in front of the crowd and began.

"The first thing we discovered is that the attacker wasn't especially big or small, an average fox-like so many in this town. Nothing was missing, nothing was destroyed, and everything seemed to be in place. The only remarkable was an odd stench in the air, which came from new changed copy machine ink. But unfortunately, this was all for our first investigation…," Arthur could almost feel how the mood in the room was sinking towards zero.

"...Until…" all eyes went right back to Arthur.

"...we spoke to local citizen and realized that the ink was changed one day before the events. No one has printed anything, and so I tried my luck to confirm my theory. The expensive problem with this copy machines is that you pay for the ink and for every copy you make. I repeat there were no copies found on the whole crime scene, which leads to the conclusion that the copy machine wasn't in use after the change and the rest of the counter." Arthur explained but saw that the first protests already came from Otto, who stood up and shouted directly to him.

"Schwachsinn! What the hell has the copy machine to do with the death of three agents! All you do Mr. Lynch is that you confuse us with useless facts, while we did all the important work during the whole day!"

For just some seconds, Arthur was too perplexed about the hate he was receiving from the deer in front of him, that he didn't know how to answer, but to his luck, he had found a trustworthy partner and friend in Paul. The buffalo bellowed with a loud voice through the whole room.

"If you would shut your mouth just for the time he is explaining what we found today, then you would see that this isn't just about three dead mammals but also about the prevention of death of a lot of other mammals. Mammals who are important to us! What do you say, Otto? You think you can do it? Just this time?"

Otto turned and stared at the black buffalo behind him. If looks could kill, Paul would have died a hundred times by now. For a whole minute the two mammals looked each other deep in the eyes, but finally, it was Otto who drew back and clicked his tongue in disagreement. With an angered face he turned back, crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked back at Arthur.

"Tell them, Arthur," Paul said and crossed his arms just like Otto did before.

"Anyhow...the counter was active. The moment I dismantled the machine to read the counter, it stood on ninety-nine copies...We found no evidence for theft because there was none! He copied and what he copied was something to which he should've no access! In short, I guess we have a traitor among the ICOU who gave a killer the access codes to " Arthur said, but he felt that he became louder and louder with every moment that passed.

But now he looked in the faces of four mammals with widely opened eyes, who tried to understand what for far fetching implications his findings have. Even the police officers and Commissioner Yukimura couldn't hide their astonishment.

"Dios mio," Camila said and cupped her muzzle with a paw. Her gaze was fixed on Paul who just nodded. She understood now why Paul wanted to have her daughter as fast as possible in safety.

"Scheiße...Das ist alles verdammte scheiße!" Otto shouted into the room and slammed his fist on the table, his brother, however, had begun to shake his head and seemed to try to ignore the facts in front of him.

'If it were so easy to ignore facts, I would do it myself...or maybe not...I have no idea if I could ignore such facts…,' Arthur

"Unbelievable...after all these years…I never thought something like this could happen one day," Bennett said in disbelief and fear. The old lion turned to look out of the window and almost seemed to forget the mammals around him, even when they called him.

Otto had shifted his anger from Arthur to Simon Bennett, the old lion looked miserable, and Arthur knew he didn't want to change with Leader of the ICOU not even for a second.

"Bennett! Hey, Bennett! What do we do now? This mission changed now entirely from vengeance to survival. This damned Bastard turned the game around, and we're now the hunted! Hey! Do you even listen to me?" Otto shouted and stood up from his table. His fists were clenched in rage as if this wasn't the first time something like this happened. Arthur remembered what Paul had told him about one of the earlier missions.

More and more whispering could be heard from every corner of the room. Even the commissioner seemed unsure what Simon Bennett, a veteran of the ICOU was doing and thinking right now and even more important how he would proceed. After five long minutes turned Bennett finally to the crowd and Arthur could swear that the old lion looked at least ten years older then he was. Old and tired

"I...I'll call the headquarter and explain our situation. You're dismissed for today." Bennett replied, but it seemed as if he knew that Otto wouldn't keep calm, not even towards a higher up.

"That's it? That's all you do? Our lives and the lives of our family members are in danger, and you just go home?" Otto shouted and couldn't take his gaze from the old lion. Arthur felt as if the angered deere would attack at any moment the old lion, but he should keep calm.

"Yes, that's it for today, and that's also everything I can do for now," Bennett replied and walked towards the door. He turned the last time around and said, "We will decide tomorrow how we'll continue. Goodnight, Ladies, and Gentlemammal. Commissioner Sanada."

Commissioner Sanada nodded and followed him instantly with some officers behind him.

When he was gone, Arthur still couldn't believe that Simon Bennett just retreated. A veteran of the ICOU and mammal he heard so much about. It was devastating to see one of his former heroes fall. Now, only the agents remained here in the conference room of operation Foxcatcher, and with that a danger, they couldn't evaluate or even predict.

"He did it again! He delayed a decision instead of making one," Otto shouted and stomped with his right feet hard on the ground. Right then, Arthur could feel with the deer that wasn't even ten minutes before against him. Arthur was eager to find the killer, to take him into custody, but no they had to wait for Bennett's decision and the next day. Arthur hated it. He was tired but to stop after this? After a deep and depressing sounding sigh from Otto, turned the deer to his brother and said, "Komm Frank, wir gehen aber zuerst muss ich noch etwas erledigen(Come on Frank, we go, but at first, I have to do something.)"

Instead of walking directly out of the room, Otto walked towards Arthur and stopped almost in front of him. Without hesitation, he stretched out his right arm, and for some seconds Arthur didn't know what to do. He looked into the severe and brown eyes of Otto, who began to speak, "I want to apologize. You were right with your assumptions and your theory. I'm maybe a little bit...ill-tempered, let's say so, but I have no problem to admit a mistake. I'm sorry, Mr. Lynch."

Arthur was honestly touched by Otto's honesty and took the arm of the other mammal with an acknowledging smile. Otto nodded to the grey wolf before he left with his brother the room. They had no police officer with them because they could both speak the local language.

Paul, Camila, Jiro, Mr. Fukuhara, and Ms. Tanaka gathered around Arthur. It was Paul who began their little conversation before they wanted to drive back into a town in which maybe still a killer was walking around and searching for them. Arthur took a short glance at his watch, it was 8 pm now, but he felt as if it was already 1, or 2 am.

"He has to take it how it is, for now, tomorrow is a new day. Camila, will you head home with us? At least up to the parking lot?" Paul asked with a smile to his old friend, and Arthur could see that the buffalo was just as tired as he was, maybe even more.

"I'm sorry, Paul. I want to call my Valeria again and see if everything is alright with my little black Gatica," Camila replied with an apologetic smile and hoped that he would understand. Like Paul, she was a parent and so he did understand and with a likewise knowing smile on his face, he took her, mostly to Arthur's surprise, in a short hug before he replied, "Of course my dear, tell her Uncle DunDun wants to see here safe and sound the next time he's visiting her. And tell her to eat more, the last time I saw her she was so incredibly thin that I feared I would break her when I give her a hug."

They both chuckled before Camila parted from the buffalo and left the conference room with Ms. Tanaka to the office of the young vixen.

"Come, I think we should go to, the day was long enough," Paul said, and Arthur nodded in reply. The wolf, the buffalo, and the two foxes strolled towards their cars. In the elevator, Paul leaned against the wall and chuckled for a moment before he began to talk, "It's incredible, but you did something I couldn't achieve in my whole career in the ICOU."

"And that is?" Arthur asked.

"You, my friend, managed to get an apology by Otto Gernach. Believe me, he and I, were almost never on the same side. He's a talented agent, but Otto has the temper of a pregnant female combined with the combat readiness of a drunken sailor. No good combination I tell you. I had his claw more than once in my face. But we come along...more or less," Paul said and grinned at him. They left the elevator and walked now toward the parking lot. It seemed that Haruno stood no longer in the entrance area of the building, the number of the vixens, which should welcome new arrivals was now also reduced from three to one.

"We all sometimes have luck...," Arthur replied, but Paul didn't seem to accept such an answer, "No, no, no, no...NO! Luck? That was no luck, I know such things as luck when I see it. Thanks to you, I could warn my family in time to bring them into safety. That was no coincidence, you had the idea in your mind, Heishiro just triggered it. You know what you deserve something from me."

They entered the parking lot Arthur and Paul in front, the two foxes behind them, talking to each other in their everyday language.

"What? No Paul, please," Arthur replied but faster than he could look laid Paul a coin in the palm of his paw, "Is that...a coin?"

The grey wolf was confused and held the silver coin above his head. The year of its creation was 1889 and Londinium the town to which it belonged. The head of a lion was imprinted on one side and the one of a wolf of the other.

"This coin was in the property of the mammal, who once caught Jack the Ripper. You know, the infamous predator who killed so many prey mammals in Londinium. However, the guy who gave me this coin was old and he said to me that, sometimes everything an agent needs to succeed is a little bit of luck. And now I'll give this small amount of luck to you because no matter what lays ahead of you, Arthur, you'll need it and it wasn't really that useful for me, because I have luck naturally." Paul said and grinned down at the wolf. Arthur has reached Jiro's police car and stood still, looking at the old coin in his paw.

He shouted after the grinning buffalo, "I can't take this, Paul. It's . . . It's too valuable!"

"Just take it...Oh and with the coin comes an invitation to Port Margarete for you and your two friends. Damned, I want to meet Marie, this must be on hell of a mammal," Arthur shouted back and waved with his claw.

"See you tomorrow, Wolf," Paul said, and Arthur replied, "And you too, buffalo!"

For another moment, Arthur stared at the coin not knowing what he should do, when Jiro looked at this open paw and spoke, "Wow, this one looks really expensive!"

"You know what? I can't keep it." Arthur said and saw just how Jiro nodded in confirmation. The grey wolf walked towards the car of Paul and Mr. Fukuhara. For a split second, he saw that Jiro was walking still behind him. He was maybe twenty to twenty-five meters away from the car with the large buffalo in it, when a glaring white light emerged before the starting vehicle and swept him away. He could feel how an incredible heat was rushing over him, that covered his whole body. The shockwave, which came with the temperature in incredible tempo threw him back on the ground where he stayed and hoped that whatever this was would soon be over.

Every feeling he knew was gone, touch, smell, hearing, and most importantly his eyesight was gone at the moment.

Everything from here on was just covered in white. In Arthur's ears ringed a terrible beeping sound as if they would burst at any moment. When he felt that something or someone was dragging him over the concrete floor, he tried to get back to his senses, but it was difficult.

"Arthur? ARTHUR!"

He could hear his name, but it sounded far away. He closed his eyes for some seconds just to open them again and see that he could now recognize silhouettes around him. No clear images or shapes but with every blink, his sight became better.

"Arthur!"

Again his name and again he became better. The beeping sound was still awful, but he could recognize other things besides it. Sirenes that seemed to come closer, the smell of smoke, fire, and gasoline. His mind was still booting, but he could recognize already the young fox in front of him, identify him as Jiro Nakamura, who tried desperately to bring him back to the world of the fully consciousness mammals. But the moment he thought this, he also asked himself, if he really wanted to fully understand what happened not even thirty meters away from him.

The moment his brain was back, he tried to stand up, just one thought in his stubborn mind.

'Paul! What was with Paul? From where came this explosion! What is with him!' Arthur thought

"No, Arthur. Please, you have to sit down," the young fox pleaded, but Arthur didn't care, he pushed Jiro away and yanked himself up on the backside of some cars. He was shaking all over his body, and he felt as if he had the worst hangover in his entire life. Time was passing but his mind told him, he had to move on. Arthur recognized, that Jiro had dragged him between two cars and Jiro sat on his butt. The young fox looked at him with wide eyes and shook his head, telling him to sit down again.

But Arthur walked on, passed the fox and leaned onto the car to his left. He felt how the strength slowly left his body and the view he had drained the last bit of hope from him. The grey wolf stood at the trunk of the car and he was going on his knees looking into the mess that was once a car and now nothing more than burning wreckage of metal, plastic, and glass. Even in his reduced state of mind, he knew that survival in this flames was not possible. The fire was so bad that other cars nearby also started to catch fire...but Arthur didn't care at this moment. He was back on his knees again, his strength was finally gone.

Arthur felt how the darkness was pulling on him and he didn't know how long he could fight against it until he had to give in. Suddenly, Mammals emerged around him, some with a fire extinguisher but they were no use. Others, obviously medics and firefighter, came with a stretcher and helped Arthur, he couldn't even speak but as soon as he laid on his back he felt how the darkness was beginning to get him, it was right then that he recognized that he was still holding the coin in his paws. Arthur wished Paul would've kept that little thing. He was the one who could have used this luck not him.


	33. A Bottle of Rum and Memories

**A/N: A small announcement about my future writing and update plans. At first, I'm far from over and working every day at this or other stories. Right now, I'll post every Thursday a chapter of "Two of a Kind" until the second Arc is complete. After this I solely contribute my time to the rework of old chapters and "Savage Force" until it's completed, so that I can concentrate afterwards on "Two of a Kind". That's it, enjoy my stories and leave me some feedback if you like**

* * *

 _"...but if I could walk across the ocean_

 _To be beside you when you sleep_

 _Swim the cold and dirty water_

 _Just to hold you next to me."_

 _Flogging Molly_

* * *

 **Arthur**

* * *

Moaning and with the worst headaches he ever had, Arthur awoke thirty minutes after the detonation of the bomb had knocked him out.

The neon lights above him forced him to close his eyes, or they would make the pain in his head even worse. He knew he needed a moment to adjust himself to the new surrounding. To his surprise was the first thing he could clearly identify nothing he saw, but it was Jiro's voice that came from his right side. The young fox sounded quite worried, but there was also a bit of relief in his voice.

"Lynch-sama! A-Are you okay? We already thought you would...you know...and...I didn't know what to do!"

Rubbing his eyes, Arthur growled a little and asked, "Arghh... I can still talk, and I also remember what happened...more or less. I would say I'm fine... and didn't we talked about this whole Lynch-sama thing, Jiro?"

"Of course. Sumimasen, Arthur," the young fox replied in relief and observed how the wolf straightened up in the hospital bed. It took him some time, but Arthur, who looked miserable in his white shirt and the gray pants with dust, dirt, and oil all over it managed with a loud growling to sit on the edge of the flatbed. His senses returned slowly to him and with them not just the pain in his head but also aches in all of his muscles, that felt as if he had taken part in another marathon run with Marie. Just like the detonation, was the marathon run another thing he wanted never to be part of in his entire life, no matter how much she would beg him to join her he would refuse.

The first glance around him showed the grey wolf that he was apparently in the medical ward of the Izumo police headquarter. His bed was just one of maybe thirty hospital beds, all of them occupied by mammals which were moaning in pain or deep in sleep, probably not of their own free will, how Arthur deducted.

Ordered chaos was all around him when vixen and female wolves in white medical dresses ran from one mammal to the next and tried their best to get the medical situation of their patients under control. While Arthur took a good look around the room, it was that the smell of burned flesh and fur, that came to him and with it memories of his work in the ZPD, which he thought were locked up in the most profound depth of his mind.

"Augh...Damn, my head. Jiro?"

"Yes, Arthur?"

"How many have we lost...I mean besides, Paul and his officer," Arthur asked with a stern face. There was no need for an explanation of what he meant.

"One...until now...but the medical situation of some is...well...difficult," Jiro began to explain.

"Who is the third one?"

"He's...was...an officer who worked at the moment of the explosion on his desk one floor above the parking lot...I even heard that the part of the building, where the bomb exploded is in danger of collapsing," Jiro replied and looked to the ground after his gaze wandered for a short moment over the other patients in the room.

"Damned…he was close...all the time," Arthur exhaled and checked if all his limbs and fingers were still working how they should, they did well but were still shaking from the explosion.

"You...you think so," Jiro asked with discomfort and looked at the grey wolf.

"Yes, but that's something for later...What's the current status of the operation and even more important where the hell is my jacket… I need one of my cigarettes, and that better now than later," Arthur grumbled and looked around to find them, but couldn't find any traces of them or his jacket. To his surprise, it wasn't Jiro who answered him but a large deer with even more massive antlers. The deer, who just walked from a nearby bed to them, had his claws in the pockets of his lab coat and watched without any emotional reaction on his face, Arthur and how he behaved after coming back to consciousness.

"And you are," Arthur asked annoyed to the new mammal in front of him.

"Dr. Tadakatsu Honda. I was the one who took you in and made the first checkup. And now, I'll do another one, to release you and give this bed to someone who needs it more. I warn you in advance, I'm not known to be very friendly to my patients."

The two stared just for a moment at each other, before Arthur sighed and gave in, "Fine...do what you need to do...but do it quickly!"

The Doctor just nodded and took a small flashlight out of his pocket. Arthur had no strength left to fight a meaningless fight against a checkup he could just endure for the moment. Also, he hated hospitals and everything that was connected to them.

'Now is not the time. I need to return to the others...and that as fast as possible. But I need my things first,' Arthur thought hardly when another wave of headaches hit him.

"However," Arthur stated and turned to the young fox police officer, "….Jiro, could you get my stuff? Jacket, gun,...I guess you know what I mean and where it is," Arthur said, and Jiro replied with a small nod and a smile before he walked off to the far end of the room. When Jiro was far enough away, the doctor started to talk without breaking his work.

"You should thank the young officer."

"...What do you mean?"

"He pulled you out of the dangered zone. Quite impressive for such a young mammal. "

For a moment, Arthur thought back and remembered how Jiro was dragging him over the concrete ground and behind a car, while he was still blinded by the explosion. The young fox tried over and over to bring him back into the world of conscious mammals.

"Yes...indeed… maybe you're right. I should thank him for this. I mean I owe him my life. Ehm, doctor the other two...I mean the ones in the destroyed car they…," Arthur began but had no idea how he should end the sentence.

"They were dead at once. There was no chance of rescue," The doctor said without any sign of empathy in his voice, to which Arthur replied, "Oh...I...I understand."

"Did you know the agent?"

"Yes...I mean no. Not really…we knew us for a day...but still. We tried to find the same guy and he was something like a role model for me...a legend, if you want to call it that. And just to talk to him was a privilege for me...I...I have to get this damned killer now more than ever," Arthur replied and was shaking as if it was freezing cold in the medical ward.

The deer replied in a deep voice and began to check the reaction of Arthur's pupils, followed by a check of his balance and a last one to keep his paws calm. Everything seemed to be fine, except for the last one.

"Mmh… still trembling? I guess it's just the shock. Here, you will take those now and these two you save for later, but just in case you can't sleep, or you're still trembling. I guess I could try to say you should stay in bed...but I know the likes of you, and I'm no mammal with illusions. You'll try everything to find him but the local police will not," Dr. Honda said and handed Arthur a small orange tube with some pills in it.

"What do you mean, they will not?"

"Honor is the highest value in this city and to catch this guy...I think someone has to get their paws dirty. But that's something the chief would never do. Their honor forbids it, no matter what is at stake."

"Don't worry, that's what I'm here for," Arthur replied and wanted to take the plastic tube from the doctor's claw, but the deer didn't let go of it. He just stared at Arthur and began to speak, "Listen, I saw mammals like you in the Zooviet Counter-Revolution. I was there helping those who could no longer help themselves, a group of engineers, doctors and other helpers from every eastern town were there. I saw more than once what happened to mammals who had lost something and who tried everything to get their vengeance. It never ended well. Not for them or the mammals around them."

With a quick move, Arthur ripped the small tube out of the doctor's claw, "This isn't about vengeance... It's about justice!"

"Do you really believe that? Now, where you lost a friend and partner? No matter how long you knew him, from this moment onward this is a personal concern, and you know that. So stop to pretend this here has anything to do with justice."

A short silence took place between both but ended when Arthur saw that Jiro came back to them with his jacket, gun and all the other things he held in his arms. The grey wolf looked the last time up to the larger deer and replied, "I have to believe this is or nothing I do here would make any sense."

Arthur didn't wait for Jiro to say anything, but grabbed his shoulder holster and walked on, signaling the fox to follow him. Jiro tried his best to keep the wolf's pace and handing him his stuff. He tried his best to get the dust off his jacket, shirt, and pants.

The doctor spoke some last words to him, to which he just replied with a growl, "I wish you all the luck in the world to catch this criminal, Mr. Lynch. Oh and this. You held this coin tight in your paw, so I guessed that it's valuable to you."

Jiro looked confused up to Arthur, but when he didn't answer he just took the coin, and both walked silently through the now chaotic corridors of the police headquarter. Some wolves and foxes even stared at Arthur, who still looked, like someone who had just survived the detonation of a bomb. Of course, they knew who he was and what just happened.

When they had reached the elevators in the entrance hall, both experienced the full dimensions of how much havoc the detonation had caused. Not just physically but also in the minds of every police member here in the headquarter.

Two Heavy armored special force units protected and sealed the entrance hall. One group seemed just to have foxes as members, with a black fox as their leader. The other was led by a wolf with a light brown fur. Both seemed to talk about the fact, how they wanted to act according to the situation.

The 'situation' in front of the entrance was a mass of mammals and reporter, who waited for the newest development here in the police headquarter and who screamed words and phrases in the foreign language. Some of them had even signs with symbols on it. But whatever they chanted or showed, Arthur was sure that it was nothing good.

"As if someone stabbed a beehive with a stick," Arthur said to Jiro who looked worried around the entrance area, while they waited for the elevator to arrive. When the doors opened, Arthur entered immediately but saw that Jiro was still looking around the entrance hall.

"Hey Jiro, we have to go...I bet your vixen...I think Satomi was her name, is okay and not hurt. No need to worry," Arthur said with a forced smile but when the fox turned around he looked to Arthur as if he had never heard of such a mammal, it took the fox even some seconds to understand that Arthur talked to him.

"Oh! Yes, yes,...I guess she's already home," Jiro said and also stepped into the elevator. Arthur blamed the damned stress for such a reaction and remembered that he had seen worse from John after a hard day.

Arthur pushed the button for their destined floor, and the elevator started to move after a short rumble. It was in the floor that Arthur began to speak, "Jiro, I wanted to thank you."

"For what," the young officer asked confused.

"Oh come on, you saved my life down there in the parking lot. Without you, who knows what would've happened to me. I owe you a lot, Jiro."

"Ah, that," Jiro replied slightly embarrassed,"...That was nothing. I just did what I had to do, but I'm sure you can repay it one day," Jiro said with a smile over his whole muzzle.

"Any time, my friend...any time," Arthur replied. The elevator stopped on the floor, and both of them walked straight to their conference room. Arthur and Jiro walked directly to their meeting room, but all they found was Camila, who sat all by herself on a table in the first row.

There was no mistake that she was crying, but she did her best to hide her tears as soon as she heard Arthur and Jiro entering the room. Quickly, she wiped away with her right paw the glittering tears in her black fur.

When she spotted, Arthur, she stood up and walked up to him with a worried gaze.

"Arthur? Are you okay?"

When Camila was close enough, she took him in a tight embrace, an action that surprised him but he returned the kind gesture immediately.

"Alabadas sean las tres diosas! I thought something happened to you too, Arthur. I'm so glad to see you in good health, " Camila said, and Arthur could clearly notice her perfume. It smelled like orchids and summer rain, but it could also be her natural scent, he wasn't sure. The closeness to Camila reminded Arthur also once more of his weakness for canines and felines alike and which let him made a step back.

He didn't know why, but until this moment he had seen her just as one of the top agents in the ICOU, who had despite her young age, won many victories against criminals all over the world. Seeing her here, crying alone in grief about a lost friend, made him painfully aware that she was just a mammal like him. A beautiful mammal, how he recognized, but he knew he shouldn't get distracted.

'Get a hold of yourself, Arthur. You can't be attracted by another agent. You never get attracted by anyone you work with. What should be different with her? Also, not in this situation, not after Paul,' Arthur thought and slowly separated himself from Camila's warm and comforting embrace.

"I-I'm fine, thanks. But what is with you? Where all the others?"

"Bennett is somewhere in the building, discussing the situation with chief Sanada and his sons. The Gernach brothers were already gone, when the bomb exploded and will be informed via telephone. And I...Well, I was here waiting for Ms. Tanaka and...thinking," Camila said and forced a smile on her face.

Arthur inspected her for a moment. Camila was slightly smaller than he was and more or less his age. Arthur had heard so much about her and her great deeds, but just now, he recognized how young she still was although she worked already ten years for the ICOU. But no matter how long or short you work for the ICOU or any other agency when a mammal died who was close to you, it tears you emotional apart and that every single time. Jiro made a step forward and bowed before Camila while he spoke.

"Sumimasen, Sanchez-senpai. But I think she will not come."

"OH no! Please don't tell me she…?"

"No! No, she's alive, but she broke her leg. I spoke to her in the medical ward, shortly before Arthur awoke. At the time of the detonation she was in the locker rooms, and it seems that one of the lockers fell, because of the shock wave that went through the building, unfortunately onto her leg. They bandaged it but keep her here, at least for the night. I'm sorry Sanchez-senpai," Jiro ended and made a step back.

"Oh...I guess. I will search for a hotel then…," Camila began, but Arthur interrupted her immediately, "No!... I mean... you can come with us. I would gladly share my room with you, and I don't think that Jiro would be against this...or Jiro?"

Arthur looked to Jiro, and he nodded just to his proposal. Camila, however, forced another smile and replied, "That's awfully nice of you two but...I don't want to be a burden. The day was already long enough and...disturbing," Camila said, and Arthur could feel that she was holding back her tears. She turned towards the door where a blue suitcase with wheels stood.

"Good thing, I have my suitcase always with me," Camila joked.

"Wait," Arthur said and grabbed carefully for her wrist, "Listen, Camila...I know how it is to lose somebody, with whom you worked together for so long. You shouldn't be alone. Especially not tonight."

Camila was fighting with herself, but Arthur saw, that she was too tired and sad to win this battle. In the end, she nodded and gave a smile to Jiro and Arthur. She also laid her remaining paw firmly on Arthur's, with which he held her wrist.

"Muchas gracias you two. I think I even have a small present to repay your kindness," Camila said and pulled her paw firmly back. When he saw that she walked towards her suitcase, Arthur didn't know what brought him to this, but he spoke, "Wait! I could take your suitcase for you."

Camila just went on and drew the handle of her suitcase. To Arthur's surprise was the handle extendable and when she turned this time to him, she showed a genuine smile on her face.

"Don't worry. I think I can handle this myself...but thanks," Camila replied and sent Arthur a wink. He felt fooled, but he knew this was his own fault and the fact that Jiro chuckled, helped Arthur not one bit.

'You dumb wolf. You see one pretty female smiling at you and immediately think she likes you. Get ahold of yourself...John and Marie would lay laughing on the floor by now.'

While Camila walked out of the door, Arthur turned to Jiro, "Thanks, buddy."

Guilty, Jiro bowed down his head, "Sumimasen, Arthur."

"Nevermind...I deserved it. My friends at home would've done the same thing."

If Arthur already thought the day was annoying in downtown Izumo, with all the thousands of mammals walking everywhere and living their lives in a never-ending crowd, then he had definitely underestimated the night. Now awoke the inner city with its thousands of blinking billboards, that he had already forgotten, plus the annoying sounds and voices, that he couldn't understand and for which he was right now very thankful. There was a tension in the city and Arthur could feel it.

Arthur sat on the passenger seat and looked, supported by his left arm, out of the window. The pills of the doctor had helped correctly. No more pain and so his mind was ready to think again.

'Paul is gone and we...what are we now? Tse, this is my first mission, and everything is just going so wrong. We have no real clues, just more questions, no possible suspects and we're searching for a fox in a million foxes...And on top of that, we lost one of our best agents, and the Izumo police look like a weak bunch of amateurs,' Arthur thought and sighed.

"Are you alright, Arthur," Camila asked. The female panther sat on the backseat, right behind Jiro and observed the grey wolf with her large brown eyes.

Since the embrace an hour ago, Arthur caught himself watching her from time to time. Sometimes he had the feeling as if she recognized that.

'She was just nice to you, idiot. Nothing more. Don't try to make more out of it as there is and as it seems there is nothing. She has a child and is probably married.'

"Although this was one of the most terrible days in my life...I would say I'm fine so far. And you?"

"Si...Terrible would be an understatement, but I try. I'm over the first shock, I guess," Camila said. She didn't even try to smile this time.

"That's good to hear, Camila. Jiro, what's with you? You seem to have something on your mind, "Arthur asked, and in fact, Jiro looked not good, while he was driving back home.

"It's... it's just...I never saw so many badly hurt mammals in my life. So much blood. The medical ward couldn't even handle all of this," Jiro explained and tried to concentrate on the street, but right now they could also walk beside the car, and they would be faster.

"The first time, seeing something like this is always hard, right Camila," Arthur replied and looked directly over to the young fox and how he continued to stare at the street in front of him.

"Oh si, I still remember my first crime scene with a killed mammal. He was an old boar, who was decapitated with a machete...it was devastating at first. He couldn't pay his debt to some mobster. I knew what was waiting for me, but still, I had to puke twice on this crime scene. But not on the poor mammal, I had so much control over myself to turn away. It was still...well like Arthur said the first time is always hard, but you get used to it. It's a part of our job," Camila explained but added a short question to Arthur, "What happened when you saw something like this for the first time, Arthur?"

Arthur could hear the grief in her voice, there was no need to turn around and verify that. But he took his time, before he answered, "I have to give you two some context...we have this mobster clan in Zootopia with the name Bell. They basically rule about the whole underworld, and they're led by a female lynx, which everybody just calls Bloody Beth or Elizabeth Bell the mobster Queen. Anyhow, my first direct encounter with their crimes was with her brother, Gregory Bell, who's maybe the only mammal I know, who is worse than Kawasemi."

"Worse than Kawasemi? How's that even possible," Camila asked, her curiosity was obviously aroused.

"Gregory is the right paw, of his sister and whatever the queen commands will be executed by her loyal paw...and more. Just to make you aware of it...until today we were not able to take Gregory or Elizabeth Bell in custody. No matter what they do, they find always a way out...Over time and with more and more murder getting public, the mammals of Zootopia gave Gregory a nickname - the Butcher."

"That's... a gruesome name," Jiro replied.

"Aye and very accurate according to the things he did. Most criminals don't like it when they get a nickname from the public, but Gregory is different. He loved it and took this name as a title of honor. At the time of the case we were still cops, my partner John and I. We were called to a crime scene, where we heard from a neighbor that it was a little bit too loud in the apartment of the family. But what we found was...nothing a normal mammal would do. Maybe a monster, " Arthur explained and remained silent, staring out of the window and into the night of the inner city of Izumo. They slowly left the crowded area and reached the suburbs of the Eastern City.

"Arthur? You... you don't have to tell us if it's too terrible," Camila said and laid soothing her large black on his shoulder. Somehow the touch of another mammal comforted him, and he began again to speak, "John and I arrived at the apartment around seven pm on a Thursday evening in October. The door was open, and so we entered to check if everything was okay. There were no signs of the family members until we reached the living room. John stumbled immediately out to reach the toilet, but I could just stand and stare. All four were sitting chained on their chair around the dinner table, and they looked with cold eyes at each other... We were too late. The throats of all four were cut. A complete deer family with mother, father, son, and daughter annihilated from one savage beast. And when I looked at the white wall beside the dining table, I almost lost it. With their own blood, he had written a message for anyone who would find them to make clear, who is responsible for this madness."

Some seconds passed in which Arthur said nothing. It was Jiro, who finally asked, what the fox and Camila wanted to know, "What...what had he written?"

Arthur continued to stare out the window but answered, "Greetings from the Butcher."

"Dios Mio," Camila whispered to herself, and Jiro grasped the steering wheel harder.

"We have no idea why Gregory did it. There was no connection, nothing. There was no money at stake or missing in the apartment or any other objects that were misplaced...I think he just did it because he could. To show his power and until today, we can't get him. With every step we do, he has a trick to escape or another scapegoat to blame. We've found no way to take him in. But I know, when I would meet him in a dark alley...I'm not sure if I would take him into custody…I don't know, I think, sometimes dead is better...at least with those monsters, " Arthur said and grabbed into his right pocket, just to feel if the coin was still there. He didn't know why but the cold comforted him.

After a felt eternity but only fifteen minutes in reality. The three predators arrive in the dark of night at Jiro's home. The old wooden home laid still in the on a hill in the south of the city. Something that Arthur recognized just now was that the house had the form of a 'U', with his room on the left side, together with the bath and kitchen. The living room as the connecting space between and Jiro's bedroom on the other end of the U-shaped building.

Jiro started immediately to prepare a small supper for the three of them, while Arthur showed Camila their room. The room the two would share had furniture like a small office. A small desk with a chair directly opposite the door, bookshelves on the left which followed after the counter. Some commodes to the right and a spacious place in front of a window, where right now just Arthur's futon laid.

"I like it," Camila exclaimed and took off her blue suit jacket, while she walked towards the window. Her tail was slowly moving from one side to the other, it was almost hypnotic for Arthur, and he could just hardly look away. And while Camila enjoyed the view over the illuminated city skyline, Arthur enjoyed a different kind of view.

"So, left or right?"

"What," Arthur asked back and felt caught in the act of watching her, but she didn't even seem to recognize it, or at least she was just good at hiding it. More like the words that came from her mouth seemed her brown eyes to questioning him.

'I bet she's great at interrogations.'

"Arthur?"

"Yes," he replied finally back from his daydream about her.

"Which side do you prefer? Jiro gave me a second futon, and I don't want to take your favorite side, " Camila said, observing him.

"I don't care, take the one you prefer. I will….ehm...leave you alone and we wait for you in the living room," Arthur said, leaving his own jacket, as well as holster and badge on top of his own suitcase. Camila replied with another forced smile and replied, "I just need a moment, you can already start to eat. No need to wait for me."

"No, we wait. It's maybe a stupid tradition, but I only eat when everyone is gathered at the table," Arthur answered with a raised index finger, leaving a softly smiling Camila behind, "That's a nice tradition."

Jiro managed in the short amount of time, to make a quick meal, which consisted of rice, some fish and how Camila and Arthur stated, spicy black paste which was made out of beans. All three sat at the round table on the ground, but Arthur recognized that he and Camila basically sat on one side, not so far apart from each other, while Jiro had his side for himself.

After the dinner, while Jiro was in the middle of cleaning up the table, Camila unpacked a large bottle which stood beside her during supper. The bottle had no label and contained a clear liquid. Arthur would have lied if he said that this wouldn't raise his interest. Carefully, Camila cleared the bottle from dust but looked with a sad gaze at it.

"This is a gift, I brought to the mission for Paul, as soon as I heard he would be a part of the team. It's a bottle of home-burned Rum from my father. But now...Now, I think it's the best to drink this to toast to Paul...to his memory," Camila explained, but everyone could hear how hard it was for her to speak the last words.

"Do you have some small glasses for us three, Jiro?" Arthur asked.

For a moment, Jiro thought about the request and disappeared for a moment into the kitchen, just to return with three small black cups.

"They're normally for Sake, but I think they will do."

Arthur saw that Camila's paws were shaking, while she tried to remove the cork from the bottle. Carefully, Arthur laid his paws on hers and took the bottle from her, "Let me do this. I think you more than any of us need a glass right now."

Accepting his offer, Camila let go of the bottle and looked slightly ashamed to the shaking paws in her lap. Two full cups stood seconds later on the table when Arthur looked to Jiro.

"You want a full one, Jiro?"

"Is it...is it strong? I'm not so good with hard liquor, " The fox asked carefully, while Arthur took the lighter from his pocket, ignited it and held the flame to his cup. A small blue flame appeared and danced on the liquid.

"Fifty percent of pure alcohol...at least, "Arthur said, and Jiro swallowed hard from this information and replied, "Just a half-full cup for me then."

"Papa always says better too much alcohol than too little," Camila said and shook her head.

"Your father is a wise mammal," Arthur said, and both smiled for a short moment at each other, before they turned back to the table where Jiro watched how careful Arthur would pour in the Rum. In fact, he poured a half-full cup for Jiro and gave everyone his share. He blew the fire on his one out and held it for a moment, "You knew him best, Camila. Maybe you want to say something?"

Camila nodded and took just like Jiro and Arthur the cup into her paw and held it up in the air. Her voice was meekly, and everyone could hear and see that she was almost crying, "To Paul Duncan. You were more than a mentor for me. You were the mammal who taught me what I know now. You were the one who helped me out when I didn't know what to do. You were the godfather of my daughter. You were always kind to me, and fair and a helping mammal in times when I needed one. And I have the feeling, that in all these years, I haven't thanked you enough. This is for you Paul. Salud!"

"Cheers!" "Kanpai!"

All three drunk in one gulp but it was Jiro who grimaced about the strength of the alcohol. As soon as the first cups were empty, Arthur began to pour another round for everyone. Jiro looked fearful at his second half filled cup but said nothing.

"I...I didn't know him for long, but I saw immediately that Paul was a great guy and for me a hero and role model. He accepted me into the ICOU and trusted me to lead the investigation. He was the agent, I always wanted to be to make this world a better place. This one's for you, Paul. Cheers!"

"Salud!" "Kanpai!"

It was just the second cup of Rum, but Arthur could already feel the warm feeling which the strong drink evoked in his belly. The burning in his throat was not as severe as Arthur thought. For a while, he let his gaze wander around the table. Jiro seemed already to sway slightly from left to right, and when Arthur held the bottle to him, he just shook his head.

'Maybe it was a little bit much for the young fox,' Arthur thought and looked to Camila who gazed mindlessly into her cup.

"Camila? Another one?"

"Si...Gracias, Arthur."

Arthur didn't know how much Camila could take, but he heard stories about the tough females of South Mammelia, who would never take advice but instead always another drink. But stories are just stories, and he knew that a lot of them were awfully exaggerated.

'I should keep an eye on her...just to be sure,' Arthur thought and looked over to Jiro, who laid already on the table and slept, using his arm as a pillow. Now, it was just the two of them alone, and somehow it made Arthur nervous.

"You said Paul was something like your mentor? How's that?"

Camila drank in one gulp the third cup of Rum and held her clenched fist to her muzzle and grimaced.

"Papa meant it too good with the sugar this time."

'She looks even cute when she grimaces like this...I should not think like that...but,' Arthur thought and smiled softly at her.

"I was twenty-three when I first met Paul, and I was the youngest student who ever became an agent at this time...and also the first female mammal, in Catacas. Because of that, I was allowed to join the ICOU. I was too shy at that time, and Paul had recognized that immediately. You see, the ICOU had created a new Mentoring Program in which every experienced agent got an apprentice at their site. Well, I got Paul," Camila told, and Arthur saw how a smile flashed over her face. Arthur stood the bottle on the table and had by now wholly turned towards Camila.

"I bet he greeted you with a joke and some kind words," Arthur said, and he saw another wave of smiles wash over Camila's face.

"Not even close. Paul called me names, said that I had no worth as a female agent and that I would never become a good one. I hated him back then, and I didn't understand what he was doing to me. That went on for...I think three missions. Anyhow, It all escalated at a mission in Midland, where we caught a bunch of Mafia mobster. Paul said that with a male agent he could have solved the task in half the time," Camila told him and poured herself another cup, which she gulped down at once. This time without wincing. She looked exhausted by now, and Arthur saw already one or two yawns which she tried to suppress.

"Where was I…Oh yes! I exploded right there with all those mafia mammals around us but already handcuffed. Shouting and screaming, I declared that it doesn't matter what sex a mammal has or how big it is. All that matters is the will to change the world to a better place...It was the first time I saw him smiling at me, and I understood that all he wanted to see from me was that I would stand in for myself...He always said to stand in for others means to stand in for yourself at first, and he was right," Camila explained and drank another cup of the self-burned Rum. Arthur could more and more hear the alcohol speaking from here and no longer the mammal she was. A short glance at Jiro showed Arthur that the fox was already asleep.

'Tse, no help from the local police.'

Camila had also turned towards Arthur, she was by now so close that their knees almost touched. But something was changing in her face, Camila looked almost desperate now, and Arthur understood that the alcohol was kicking in hard this time.

"You know...Paul was almost something like a second father to me. He even helped me when I was all alone with difficult decisions…He was the first one I told about my pregnancy…. about...the mistake I had made, " Camila said in a more and more drunken sounding voice. After some sobbing, she continued, "...But...but...it wasn't my fault...Mama died, and I didn't know what to do," Camila was crying and shaking when she said those sentences in which Arthur seemed to see some sense but not enough to understand the whole picture.

In her desperation, she grabbed again for the Rum, but Arthur was faster and held careful her shaking paws.

"It's okay, Camila. Look at me," Arthur said. While she was biting her lip, Camila folded her paws and Arthur took them into his own. Soothing, he looked back into her brown and wet eyes, "I know how it feels to lose someone important...someone, who supported you on your way and taught you so many things, that the word friend isn't enough. It's okay to cheers onto something or numbs you for a while. But...no matter how big your grief is…, " Arthur explained, and his eyes wandered to the bottle of Rum and Camila's followed, "...Never try to drown your pain in alcohol. It will just open another gate to another hell, trust me. I've seen it enough."

"Who…*sniff*...who did you lose?"

"My first partner at the ZPD, Gerald Bogo, a buffalo just like Paul. The first time, after I heard about his death...I was... shattered and unable to do anything. If I hadn't already a good friend at this time...this stuff would've been my future. I'm sure of it," Arthur said and nodded the last time over to the alcohol.

Without any further ado, Camila leaned forward and embraced Arthur, resting her head on his chest. Arthur had no idea what he should do now. Camila was clinging to him, and Jiro was no longer capable of doing anything else than sleeping.

Not even five minutes after the embrace began, Arthur recognized that she was asleep in Arthur's arms, but he knew that with too much alcohol you become a deep sleeper. After a first attempt to come free, Camila snuggled herself even tighter onto Arthur, almost as if she didn't want to let go of him.

'Don't forget Arthur, that's no sign. She's just drunk and in grief. At first, I should bring her to bed...and then Jiro,' Arthur thought and chuckled, 'Almost like home, with John and Marie.'

Carefully and trying his best not to wake her, Arthur slid his arms under Camila's legs and shoulder. He was a little bit surprised how light she was, even so, he had recognized her slender body. As soon as she laid in his arms, Camila smiled for a second with a sleepy face up to Arthur and snuggled again into his shirt, while inhaling his scent.

'She's drunk that's all...might confuse me for someone else…,' Arthur concluded and dismissed any other thought.

When he entered his room, Arthur passed by Jiro's office desk with the small chair and headed directly for Camila's futon mattress, where he went to his knees and laid her slowly down. He took his time, watching her for a while if she was asleep. After two minutes he was sure that Camila, has sleeping and Arthur covered her with a blanket.

But just when he stood up, a black paw was holding him down, while two brown eyes were looking at him from the blanket.

"Hey, everything alright?"

"Where...where do you want to go?"

"Ehm...Jiro is still in the living room, someone has to take care of him," Arthur replied, and he felt how Camila tightened her grip. Half her face was covered by the blanket, and only her brown eyes could be seen and how they glittered.

"But...you will come back to me...right," Camila asked, her voice muffled from the blanket and the alcohol.

"Of course, I…," Arthur began smiling but became serious when he saw that she was dead serious, "I promise you, I'll come back to you."

Her black paw moved from Arthur's wrist down to his paw, where her little finger grabbed his, "Promised…*hicc*...is promised."

"Yes," Arthur replied with a smile and saw that Camila was falling asleep. Smiling like a schoolboy who just got a kiss from his crush, he walked back into the living room. Where, to his surprise, no fox was sleeping on the table. Even a gaze in the inner yard of Jiro's home, the bathroom or the kitchen showed Arthur no sign of Jiro. It was finally the door to Jiro's bedroom, through which still a little bit of light could be seen, that cleared everything for Arthur, and he moved on.

'I better let him rest...he earned it.'

When Arthur was walking through the living room, he caught a glimpse of the bottle of Rum still standing there. He stopped. And with a quick paw, Arthur grabbed it, removed the cork and took a sniff. The liquor burned terrible in his nose, and he even had to close his eyes for a moment or two.

'You can say what you want, but Camila's father knows how to make Rum, ' Arthur thought and raised the bottle almost to the ceiling of the small room, when he half-loud proclaimed, "For you Paul and that we get this son of a bitch."

He drank a big gulp and stood the bottle back on the table. The Rum was burning like fire in his throat, but it felt good and somehow purifying.

'It's no single malt whiskey but something I could get used to.'

It was 10:30 pm, and he decided that there was still time for a little shower.

Clean and ready, Arthur stepped in new boxers and a simple white ZPD T-shirt into the dark room and closed the sliding door after him. Usually, he liked more to sleep without any, but he had a lady here as his company and didn't want that Camila could feel in any way uncomfortable in his company, even so, he heard stories about the hot nights in South Mammelia and that almost no one there wore clothes day or night. But like the other stories, this could just be exaggerations of the truth.

He didn't turn the lamp on, his eyes were good enough with the amount of light that the moon provided. But something had changed in the room. Arthur just wasn't aware of what it was until he stepped right into something, that laid in the middle of the room.

'Fabric? Clothes? Maybe I have forgotten something? Well, that's definitely a task for future me,' Arthur thought and laid on his futon. He wasn't sleepy enough, and so he decided to take a last look at Camila, but she was hidden underneath her blanket, which moved slowly up and down to the rhythm of her breathing.

Arthur deeply inhaled before he closed his eyes and tried to get a review about the day, 'So much had happened and never before was a mission of the ICOU going so wrong and that in such a short amount of time. Paul why….'

"Liar," He heard an obviously drunken voice say and decided to open his eyes. He expected a fully dressed Camila to be in front of him, but instead, there was just the slender, black feline body of an almost naked Camila.

Now it hit him, upon what he stumbled just minutes ago. Those were Camila's clothes in the middle of the room and which she apparently tried to get rid off in her current state. On all fours and swaying slightly from left to right, she was with here muzzle not too far away from his own, and all she was still wearing was her yellow panties.

"Liar!" She insisted.

"Why do you call me that, Camila?"

"Because you are! You said *hicc* you would come back to me!"

"And here I am...so what's the problem?"

"NO! You said you come back to me! I was there, and you laid yourself over here. That's... that's not what I understand about coming back to me," Arthur finally understood Camila's drunk logic, and without any words, she crawled again closer to him. Now, they were only inches apart from each other.

"I wanted you with me, idiota!"

Apparently overwhelmed by the naked feline who kneeled almost above him, her drunken state and her needs, Arthur sat there with a slightly open muzzle, unable to speak or to make any decision and so the drunk Camila made the decision for him.

Lips met lips when Camila leaned forward to a kiss. With wide eyes looked Arthur in Camila's beautiful black face and his mind began to think for a moment to through what this would do to her.

' _What are you doing here! She's an agent, and you're still in the middle of an investigation with her. You can't do that_...No law in the ICOU forbids intimate relationships between agents. I like her, okay? _You don't even know her!_ And? _You can't._..Fuck it,' Arthur ended his thought and grabbed Camila's face softly with both of his paws to return the kiss eagerly. A moan escaped Camila's muzzle when she crawled over him and sat onto his tummy.

All of this, Arthur recognized and more. For example that she tasted sweet and had still a hint of the Rum on her tongue. Or the leopard pattern, which every panther has, but was very clear on her shoulders.

His mind was maybe slightly dazed with alcohol, but Arthur knew, that he couldn't get enough of her and it seemed it wasn't just him who shared these feelings. But, there was still one thought in the back of his mind. Only one, but it was so important that it made him stop.

"Wait...I...I can't do this," Arthur said after he had ended the kiss suddenly. Camila was confused, but even more, she was hurt about this sudden rejection, Arthur could feel it. She took herself back, crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked ashamed to the side before she began to speak, "You could've said that you're not into felines, Arthur. Me siento tan estúpida (I feel so dumb)."

"That's not it, Camila, you're beautiful...and it's also not that I dislike...felines. More the opposite," Arthur said and for a moment, something like a smile flashed over Camila's face but disappeared quickly.

"But what? Mmh? What's your damn…*hicc*... problem? Am I so hard to look at," Camila said almost crying and obviously offended, while she swayed from left to right and sitting on Arthur's tummy. Her voice was also every now and then interrupted by a small and cute hiccup sound. But Arthur saw that her basic instincts and needs had taken over, thanks to the Rum.

'It was definitely too much for her.'

"No, not at all. In fact, it's pretty difficult to take my eyes from a beauty like you. I'm just no male who takes advantage of a female, especially not when she drunk one, two or maybe four cups too much Rum, because she's in grief about a friend. That's just wrong, and that's also not me, " Camila just stared down at Arthur in complete confusion as if she couldn't believe what she just heard. It took some seconds until she seemed to realize what she just did and cupped her muzzle with both paws. Tears began to flow down her cheeks.

A fear, as if he made a grave mistake came over Arthur. His paws grabbed instinctively after Camila, taking her in a tight hug onto his chest.

"Camila. I'm sorry if I said something wrong," Arthur said and stroked soothingly over her head.

Sobbing, Camila laid on him and spoke quietly,

"No…you didn't. You were perfect. I'm so sorry...my head...I don't know what I should think. Since this morning, I couldn't keep my eyes from you...and then that with...Paul. I don't know why I kissed you...or why I came so abruptly for you. Please, don't think bad of me."

"Don't worry, I don't think bad about you. You lost someone significant," Arthur whispered back, and he felt how her breath became calmer with every minute, "He was my friend, Arthur. One of the few true ones I had in my life. He was like family, like a second father."

A moment passed, where she sobbed into the night, asking the question to which Arthur would normally give no answer, "Do you think we will get him?"

There was no time to wait and show insecurity, and deep down Arthur wanted to make her feel better.

"Don't worry, I promise you that we'll get him and then...he'll pay."

"Arthur," Camila asked and sounded incredibly ashamed for what was coming.

"Yes?"

"Can I...can I stay by your side...at least for tonight? Por Favor?"

"I...I think that's fine...for tonight," Arthur said but was unsure if he did the right thing.

'I would love nothing more than having you by my side this night, that's what I wanted to say. It doesn't matter, she wouldn't remember anything of this by tomorrow,' Arthur thought.

Without hesitation, Camila made herself comfortable on the left side of the grey wolf. With her left paw, she slid underneath Arthur's t-shirt and laid her paw on his chest, right over his heart. While her left leg found its way between his, with her head she snuggled herself into a comfortable position between his chest and chin.

Half asleep, Camila said towards Arthur, "Where were you six years ago."

'I would be a damned liar if I would say that I didn't like that. How long has it been since I had someone by my side at night? One year? Three? Five? Definitely too long. My last relationship was at the beginning of my ZBI career. Right, Amanda was the last. A sweet grey wolf like me, who ended it because I spent more time in my job than with her. And then...nobody...until now. By the three goddesses I have missed this feeling of someone by my side so much, ' Arthur thought and raised his left paw slowly to Camila's head. Carefully, he stroked over her black fur, and it didn't take long before he heard a soft purr coming from her. She was already asleep, but this put a pleasant smile on the face of the grey wolf.

Now, where Camila laid in his arm, Arthur felt how tired he really was and drew the blanket slowly over both of them.

He took a last look at the sleeping feline to his left and thought, 'At least I'll have some good dreams tonight, and I also know about whom I'll dream.' Smiling, Arthur gave Camila a kiss on her head and closed his eyes. It didn't take long, and he was sleeping, just like her.


	34. Old Team, New Order

**A/N:**

At first, thanks for every reader who still wants to know something about my story and of course for all the reviews. I know that the story is right now far away from Judy and Nick, and I'm sure that some of you have doubts how this will, in the end, have any connection to our duo and the other main characters. But I promise you that everything will make sense when the right time comes and I also need to prepare a lot for later chapters, because like I said, everything is connected and build upon each other. So, be careful because almost no character is here just because he/she is cool or interesting. Every character has its place in this world, yes even for example an Otto Hopps and everything is or will be somehow connected to each other.

So please stick with the story, I promise you the payout will be huge. (^-^)

P.S.: Because of the length of my story I decided to add smaller or bigger summaries to every chapter of my story.

 **What happened before:**

Arthur Lynch, ZBI Agent and member of the ICOU(International Crime Offense Unit), was called to the eastern town Izumo, one of the largest cities in the world which is deeply divided between tradition and the will to change. Here, Arthur hunts together with Jiro Nakamura, a young fox police officer, and Paul Duncan, an experienced Agent of the ICOU, after a masked fox who killed three agents and calls himself Kawasemi. At the same time tried Agent Camila Sanchez, the Gernach Brothers and leader of the Operation and the ICOU, Simon Bennett, to find more information in old cases, in which Kawasemi seemed to be involved.

After a theory from Arthur, who explained that Kawasemi could have copied the local version of encrypted papers with the information of every Agent world wide but with one missing, for the traitor of the ICOU who worked together with Kawasemi. In the end, Arthur could confirm his findings and present the new idea to the whole operation team. The findings of the research tema were almost zero but the new theory was something everyone seemed to be accepted.

On their way home of this long first day detonated in the car of Agent Paul Duncan, which killed him immediately, send Arthur unconscious to the ground and destroyed the whole stability of the Police Headquarter.

Arthur awoke in the medical war and went after a short discussion with his doctor back to the conference room. Only Camila remained, who was clearly shocked and griefing about Paul's death. Arthur invited to stay the night with them because he knew that no one should be alone who lost somebody important. All three together toasted for Paul with the help from a gift that Camila had brought initially for Paul, a bottle of selfmade Rum. After several cups of the booze, Jiro fell asleep and Arthur was alone with the emotional and drunken Camila, which came closer and closer to him in the conversation both had. In the end, the drunk feline agent managed even to share a bed with Arthur and so that he had to keep her company for the night.

* * *

" _Choices made, whether bad or good, follow you forever and affect everyone in their path one way or another." - J.E.B. Spredemann_

* * *

 **Arthur**

* * *

Arthur sat, still in his clothes from the previous night, at the small office desk and took notes to the case, the possible suspects, his plans and about things that could probably happen. He still wanted to lay in his bed together with Camila, but his paws had begun to wander over her body while he was still asleep. A moan from her had woken him instantly. When he recognized that already the first beams of light crept over the ocean in the east and into the room, Arthur decided against every cell in his body to leave Camila alone in bed.

Now an hour later, where it was almost 7 AM, Arthur had made good progress on his notes, thinking about the case and from time to time watching Camila sleeping.

Arthur was sure by now that Kawasemi was someone who had access to the ranks of the local police, probably even the ICOU. However, the great mystery was still what the criminals of this town knew about him. After all, they were the ones, who summoned him to do their dirty work. If you only look at him through the lens of the local news stations and police without the information of the underworld, it was no mystery why everyone saw him just as a demon or monster who lurked in the darkness and killed whole families.

Six weeks ago this town was at peace, perfectly balanced over the last two hundred years. That was until Kawasemi killed the leading mammals of the Yoshimura family and destroyed the fragile equilibrium between the Yakuza families, the old high born families, the commoners, and the police. This fox created a mess, and with every day the tension between the different forces was rising with no end in sight. The demonstration of local mammals in front of the police headquarter was just a small example of what would happen. Everyone on every side is waiting for the storm to break loose. Arthur didn't know what but he had the feeling that Kawasemi would stand in the center of this storm. Whatever his intentions might be.

Moans of regret and pain sounded over to Arthur, who turned with a smile to the awaking Camila. It took her a moment to sat up and opened her eyes to a room flooded by the morning sun.

"¡Maldición! ¡Mi cabeza!"(Damn it! My Head!)

Camila looked around her and tried to understand where she was and why she had a headache. Upright and slowly coming to her senses, the young mother sat on the futon and blinked towards Arthur. The blanket had long slipped down and revealed everything of her upper body, down to the beginning of her underwear. To Arthur's amazement, it didn't seem to bother her at all.

"Good morning, beauty," Arthur said but regretted the last word immediately, even so, he meant what he said. Camila, however, began to stretch her arms and upper body up to the point where her headaches were kicking in again. She twitched from the sudden pain and let her head sink into her paws with a painful moan.

"What happened, Arthur? I have just a foggy memory of yesterday night...oh my head. Please tell me, that we emptied at least the whole bottle," Camila said and smiled miserably at the grey wolf.

Arthur took the glass of water and the aspirin into his paw, two things he had already prepared for the possibility that this would happen and walked over to Camila, where he kneeled beside her. Camila hid her face behind her paws, and Arthur knew she did this not because of him or shame. She just tried to keep the light away from her eyes. He had this experience more than one time in his life.

"Not even close, but now I know that your limit is five cups of your father's self-made Rum. Which's still four more than Jiro could take before he passed out," Arthur said smiling, while another moan of pain sounded from Camila, "Please, never tell my Papa or David about this. They would make fun of me till I'm old and grey."

"David? Is that your husband," Arthur asked and tried not to sound too curious, while he watched the two white pills on his black paw pads. Camila who massaged her temples didn't immediately recognize it and replied, "David? No, he's my...wait are you jealous of my brother?"

With a big smile that turned fast into a wince of pain, Camila looked at Arthur's dumbfounded face, "What? No...I...I'm sorry...I was just curious who's that is. That's all...Here for your headaches."

Arthur handed her the water and the aspirin before he went over to his suitcase. Softly smiling, Camila looked at the kind gesture in her paws. She swallowed the pills and drank the glass of water while Arthur continued to speak.

"I'll take a shower, and then the bath is all yours…," Arthur began, but Camila interrupted him after she finished the water, "Why are you doing this for me, Arthur?"

"I told you, that I know how it is to lose somebody important in your life...and besides, those are just some aspirins," Arthur said and walked with cloth in his paws to the sliding door, while Camila followed him with her gaze.

"That's not what I meant, and you know that."

"I have no idea, what you're talking about, Camila," Arthur denied, but Camila was faster and smarter than that. Arthur had the feeling he witnessed right now the reason why she was already for ten years an agent of the ICOU, "I don't know everything that happened yesterday, but I know enough to deduce what you did. You prevented me from drinking too much Rum and helped me over the first shock of Paul's death. You even carried me in your arms into bed because I wasn't able to walk by myself and when I couldn't sleep alone, you agreed to let me sleep by your side," Camila said and wrapped herself into the blanket.

"Arthur, yesterday I was completely devastated because of Paul's death, but I'm far from an idiot, and as I said, I have fragments of memories from last night. However, let me deduce it for you, mi querido. I awake in your bed? Drenched in your scent? Don't tell me, that I chose the wrong bed when I got here because we both know that's not what happened. We shared one bed, and we were very close, isn't it so? Did we...you know," Camila asked and smiled slightly ashamed to Arthur, who just felt how his ears dropped while he still stood at the door. He knew that he was terrible at hiding his emotions but that his body was such a traitor...it was embarrassing.

"No, we...nothing like this happened," Arthur replied and shook his head. Camila seemed to be disappointed with this answer but smiled nonetheless, "Please, Arthur. Can you sit beside me and talk to me for a bit? I promise not to bite … at least not yet."

Without any objections, Arthur walked over to the smiling Camila and sat himself to her right side.

"Maybe we didn't do that, but something happened and led to the point that we shared a bed. Please, Arthur, tell me the truth."

Arthur looked to the wooden ceiling and sighed heavenly. He didn't know in which direction this conversation was leading, but at least she didn't seem to be angry with him for anything that happened, and so he tried it with the truth, "You...you crawled to me in your drunken state and...kissed me. So I kissed you back and...I have to apologize, Camila. I lost control over myself for maybe a minute, and it took me all my willpower to stop kissing you."

Camila leaned, wrapped into her blanket, onto Arthur's shoulder and looked with her brown eyes up to him, "Did you...did you stopped because I'm a panther and you're a wolf?"

"What? No! Of course not...I like...felines. I stopped because you were drunk and we're both agents of the ICOU. I didn't want to take advantage of you, Camila. That's all. I just did what I thought was right...nothing more...," Arthur said and felt now almost bad.

"First... no law forbids romantic relationships between agents. Second, you have more dignity in your little finger, Arthur, than the father of my daughter in his whole body," Camila said and leaned closer towards him. Her eyes were shut, but Arthur felt that her right paw searched for his. Not knowing what to do, he helped her to find him. Immediately, she slipped through his fingers to hold his left paw tight. Arthur recognized the warmth of her paw and he liked every second with it.

"Muchas Gracias, Arthur."

"For what? I didn't do anything special or even great," Arthur chuckled. Because, from his point of view, he did wrong by her.

"Si, you did something wonderful. You showed me that there's still a male outside of my family and besides Paul, whom I can trust without a second thought. Maybe it's just one male in the whole wide world, but I think that's more than enough for me," Camila said, and Arthur had to smile about it, even so, he couldn't believe that she meant what she said.

"We don't even know anything about each other, Camila, so why does it feel like you are trying to make this work."

"You're right, Arthur, we don't know anything about each other, and that's the great thing about it. I don't try, but I feel it just works. You know, I do not remember much, but there are two things I have very clearly in my mind."

"Okay, what is it?"

"I can't completely recall how the kiss was but what stuck to my mind or better my nose was your smell."

"Oh, was it so bad," Arthur asked jokingly, and both shared a short laugh.

"No...not at all. It remembered me of the place my family lived when I was a child. It was on the outskirts of Catacas before the crime and drug business turned this place also into a hellhole. Before this time, I have a lot of happy memories from this place I would even call home. Tell me please, how do I smell to you. It's maybe a strange question for mammals from somewhere else, but the scent is something important in my culture," Camila asked and looked with her brown eyes questioning up to Arthur who looked embarrassed at the wall, trying to evade her gaze. Meekly he replied.

"Orchids and summer rain."

"That's...pretty specific. How…," Camila asked, but Arthur had already prepared his answer, "My...mum used to grow orchids in her free time. I liked the smell of them, but it was always something special when the summer came," Arthur asked, and Camila nodded with a smile, "Whenever they announced rain in summer, Mum stood all her precious orchids on the grid of the fire exit. And so they stood there in purple, light blue, pink, yellow…," Arthur explained, but Camila interrupted him interested, "Yellow Orchids? I would love to see those."

Smiling, Arthur peered at the spot where Camila's left hip peeked out of the blanket and revealed her yellow panties. Camila followed his gaze and grinned up to Arthur.

"What? See something you like?"

"Some mammals could assume you like yellow."

"Some mammals...You mean yourself, right? Well, by pure chance it happens that yellow is my favorite color. You should see me at home when I don't have to wear those grey suits. My daughter and I, we wear our favorite summer dresses and prepare for a day in the park...both in yellow of course."

"I would love to see that...well if I happen to be in Catacas. Ehm, I think you know what I mean, "Arthur replied, and another bright smile on Camila's face appeared before she realized what she did, "Oh, I know exactly what you mean...Oh, no! I interrupted you! Disculpen! (I'm sorry.)"

Arthur chuckled about the feline at his side and continued, "No problem...where was I...Oh, yes. You see, whenever the summer rain came, and Mum had placed her orchids on the fire exit, afterward the whole apartment was filled with this special smell. It wasn't the normal scent those orchids usually had; it was much sweeter and also, I don't know lighter. It was almost as if the flowers were happy to stand in the rain and thanked you for it by releasing this smell...crazy right? The one thing I know is that I loved the smell and when you hugged me yesterday, it was the same scent all over again. It...It's strange, right?"

Arthur couldn't see Camila's face, but he still held her paw, and so he waited for her to reply.

"I...I'm flattered. Nobody had me ever compared to a flower and then even such a pretty one...and how you told this story. It was beautiful."

A minute past in which both mammals enjoyed silently just the presence of each other until Arthur finally continued to speak.

"You said there were two things you remember? What's the second?"

"Well... that was you by my side. For the first time in...I can't even recall, ages, I could sleep without being on the guard, I felt protected, don't get me wrong, I know how to defend myself, but the life in Catacas is hard. I sleep with a loaded gun beside my bed and with my daughter in my arms. I awoke because of the smallest sound, and I'm always on high alert. There's no night where I didn't wake up at least two times to check my door and my windows. However, I will not quite, my daughter deserves a better life in a better world than this," Camila said, and Arthur could feel that the tone in her voice had changed. He gave her paw a quick squeeze and waited for her to look up to him.

"I bet you're a great mother," Arthur said, and Camila replied with a sad smile, "I'm not. I work too much and spend not enough time with Valeria. Papa and David take care of her a lot, and I'm thankful that they do. You know how our job is...I wish I could give her a better childhood," Camila said, and Arthur felt that Camila pressed his paw very tight by now.

"Just the fact that you try, that you work your pretty ass off for her and all these attempts to spend time with her tell me, that you are a great mother, Camila."

"You're too kind."

The house was still quiet, and both couldn't hear a sign of Jiro, while they both sat beside each other and tried to talk about the feelings they had. After these first moments of openness and honesty, the conversation seemed to slow down, an awkward silence quickly formed between Arthur and Camila, where both didn't really know how to proceed. It was finally Camila who said the obvious.

"So...I don't want this chance to slip away...so I will just say what I feel...Arthur, I like you...a lot. And I know that we're practical strangers but...but I have the feeling this could work...if you want," Camila explained nervously and even if Arthur seemed to be calm, internally he was just as nervous as Camila, He paused for a few seconds, took a deep breath and replied, "I also like you a lot...but you're aware that we would be outcasts, right? A wolf and a panther?"

"Arthur, I decided once to become an agent to fight crime in my hometown, a place where crime dictates everything. I hated it and decided that I want to make this world a better place and I knew I would be an outcast. Everyone is avoiding me because they are scared that I could lead the crime and violence to them. What should I say, they are right? I mean, the underworld of South Mammelia has even put a bounty on my head," Camila sounded miserable by now and seemed already to know how Arthur would answer. She inhaled deeply before she asked, "So I have just one last question after everything I told you...Are you scared of me?"

Arthur took his time to answer, and he could feel how her paw became slightly sweaty from the wait.

"I was never the guy who had many mammals around him. When I was young, it was my Mum, and now it's a married couple who accepted me basically as their brother. We're a weird combo...Anyhow, since this night... for the first time, I want to be together with someone, and I don't care how dangerous it is. So, if you need somebody to watch your back, while you can lay down and rest for a while, I'm your mammal. You see, I'm more frightened that I'm the one who will break something that we can't fix."

Without a word, Camila stood up, her paw still entangled with Arthur's and made a step to be right in front of him. The wolf had no idea what was going on but decided to let her do as it pleased her and stayed in his crossed leg position. Camila sat in Arthur's lap and wrapped both of them in the blanket. Arthur welcomed the warmth that came from Camila. Both predators rested their heads on the shoulder of their partner, and when Camila began to speak, there was no inch of space between the two.

Arthur inhaled her scent again, and it was like he said, 'Orchids and summer rain.' He nuzzled his snout deep into the black fur of her neck and inhaled again. The wolf who normally let no one close to him was falling for her, and he knew it. Arthur felt that she also liked it because Camila shivered whenever he exhaled. Her voice was soft, and Arthur knew he was the reason for this.

"If we do this, then it's not just you are protecting me, we will watch each other's back….Oh! Why does this feel so good," Camila was almost panting when she held Arthur's head with her strong paws in her neck. She couldn't get enough of him doing this, especially not while Arthur's paws slide along her back. In the last attempt of taking back control, Camila guided Arthur with her paws back to her face, where she held him inches away from her nose and spoke, "No lies, no holding back and no patronizing. What do you say?"

"Do you accept a kiss as a yes?"

"Oh Dios, Si!"

Arthur's muzzle instantly clashed with Camila with her nose against Arthur's. A short whinge from both of them about the pain followed a quick laugh about their clumsiness and finally a tender kiss, for which Arthur took Camila's face in his paws.

While they kissed, the blanket slowly slid from their shoulders but they didn't care until Camila began to shiver from the cold morning. It didn't take a second until Arthur moved his paws over her body and pulled her tighter onto him to keep her warm.

The sound of kisses, moaning, and ruffled fur echoed silently through the room until both heard a very familiar voice from the door that they had almost forgotten.

"Good morning, Sensei Sanchez and good morning Arthur. I just wanted to ask if you are awake and well."

Camila placed a last kiss on Arthur's lips before she drew herself some inches back and grinned at the annoyed looking wolf. He liked the fox, but this interruption had the worst possible timing, even so, Arthur knew that it wasn't Jiro's fault. Nobody could have foreseen the situation in which he was right now.

Waiting for Arthur to talk, Camila looked at him while she bit her lip, eager to hear what he would say. Finally, he gave in to her gaze and spoke.

"Good morning, Jiro, I am awake and so is Agent Sanchez. I'm fine by the way."

Arthur didn't expect this, but Camila raised her head and spoke, "Buenos Dias, Jiro. I'm feeling better this morning but thank you for the request."

"That's good to hear...ehm...I would prepare breakfast. Can I bring you something," Jiro asked and began to slide open the door but stopped when Camila, who almost couldn't hold back her laughter, replied, "You should be careful, Jiro. I'm sitting right now half-naked in the lap of Agent Lynch. Peek at your own risk."

For a moment reigned only silence in the old wooden home of Jiro Nakamura, until he slammed the sliding door shut and how Arthur suspected, Jiro bowed now in front of the door. The wolf was right, loud and clear, the young fox apologized for his behavior, "Sumimasen! I never wanted...I didn't know that...I...I will make breakfast. Give me half an hour for everything. My deepest apologize..."

Arthur couldn't suppress a smile when he saw the giggling feline on top of him, who cupped her muzzle with both of her paws to hold back her laughter.

"It was a joke, Jiro," Arthur shouted after the fox, who seemed to stand still for a moment and replied, "Oh...okay...I...understand...Anyway, give me half an hour for breakfast."

Still grinning and amused about the prude reaction of the fox, Camila took Arthur's face in her paws and said, "But it wasn't a joke."

"I know, but he doesn't have to know. So...what do we do now," Arthur asked before he gave Camila another kiss and went over to nuzzle the fur in her neck with his snout. Camila giggled about the caress she received from the wolf and smiled down to him.

"Now, mi amor, we will prepare ourselves for work, but! Before you go to the shower. You can give me your shirt, so I have something from you while your gone," Camila said and without one word of remorse, Arthur replied smiling, "Paws up, senorita."

Giggling like a little girl and amused that Arthur played along, Camila raised her arms to be dressed. In a single movement, Arthur managed to pull the grey ZPD shirt over his head and pulled it down over Camila's. On the slender feline body of her, it looked more like a dress, even her left shoulder peeked out and made it a bit sexy. Not that anything Camila wore, could make her look bad.

"I like it."

"Well, you look great in it."

"Gracias, mi amor. But you know…," Camila let her paws glide through Arthur's chest fur, "...you should cool down a little bit, and I will go first. Maybe I leave some hot water for you."

"No need for that. I'll definitely shower cold this morning."

"I see why," Camila replied, lifting her gaze and giving him a last short kiss.

The feline with the black fur and just slightly visible fur pattern stood up from the wolf and walked towards her suitcase to grab her towel and moved directly to the door. Arthur had the feeling that she walked extra seductive, just for him. At the door, she smiled the last time at him before she was gone.

Overwhelmed by his emotions and everything that happened since he awoke, Arthur sighed happily and let himself fall on his futon. His mind was racing, and he didn't know what he should concentrate on first.

'I have no idea what I got myself into...but I guess that's the thing with love. You never know when it happens...or with whom.'

A calm breakfast followed. With a Jiro, who was too embarrassed to look Arthur or even Camila in the eyes. In the end, it took Arthur multiple attempts to explain that Camila made a joke and nothing more, while she just sat there smiling and enjoying the conversation of the two.

In contrast to Camila, Jiro showed no signs that the alcohol from yesterday night has taken any toll on him. In fact, he looked like always, deep red-orange fur, bright green eyes that almost seem like emeralds and a small pair of glasses above them.

While Arthur and Camila, got everything necessary for the day like their guns and badges, both had another small conversation in which they came to the conclusion that it would be the best to keep the relationship their little secret.

Secret or not, Arthur saw that Camila was looking at him every now and then, but it was not that Arthur was any different. As much as he wanted, he couldn't get his gaze off her, and whenever their eyes met, both smiled slightly embarrassed at each other and turned for the next minute, looking out of the driving car. Grinning, Arthur realized that they behaved like two fourteen-year-old and what made him smile even more was the fact that he liked it.

Most of the drive back to the Police Headquarter of Izumo was rather uneventful, at least until they drove past the main entrance. To the surprise of Arthur and also Camila, was the crowd in front of the building not smaller but filled with more mammals than yesterday night. Students of the local university, as well as other mammals in suits and work clothes, as well as old mammals, seemed to have joined the protest with chanting and cardboards with Symbols on it that Arthur and Camila couldn't read.

"What do the boards say, Jiro?"

It took the young fox just a glance before he answered, "Keep the Yakuza at bay, or No more Death, keep the peace. The citizens are afraid, we never had an open conflict in two hundred years but yet it seems that something is coming."

"But why do they blame the Yakuza for this. Didn't the chief released a statement about Kawasemi and the role of the Yakuza in this case," Arthur asked and received an immediate response from Camila.

"Actually...we have no letter of confession or any other evidence that Kawasemi was the culprit. We deduce it but...I'm not even sure that the mammals of Izumo know that a killer with the name Kawasemi exists."

Jiro stopped the car. They were now lined up at the entrance of the parking lot but right now, every incoming or outgoing vehicle was controlled if another bomb would find its way into the headquarters. In front of them stood at least twelve cars and they knew this would take a while.

"They know nothing precise, all the citizens know are rumors. The police of Izumo had never confirmed that a culprit with the name of Kawasemi exists...we tend to leave the local residents in the dark, to prevent such demonstrations. But it's not just this, the citizens of Izumo are in terror about different things. On the one side are the different Yakuza clans who arm up to be prepared for a war against whoever is challenging them. On the other side is the police who can't do anything against them because of their rules. And to make things even worse happens a bomb attack against the police headquarters who is unable to find a killer who is just known from stories, where he is depicted as a demon who creeps through the shadows and kills complete families," Jiro explained and drove some meters just to stop again.

"We need to know why he's here or how he came here. Camila, you worked yourself through the case files of the killed Yoshimura family, right?"

"More or less, yes," Camila replied, and Jiro drove some more meters until he stopped.

What do you mean, "More or less? " Arthur asked as he turned around to the feline with whom he sat not even two hours ago in a room, kissing and embracing each other passionately. But right now, there was just Agent Sanchez, with over ten years of experience and a case to crack. Maybe it would work like this. Agent here in public but a couple whenever nobody was looking. Couple…the word sounded odd to Arthur and the life he had until now.

"It means that the case file was basically three pages of names who were part of the Yoshimura family, but most of them are dead now. The only exception was Eto Yoshimura, the one-year-old granddaughter of the clan's leader. But even her whereabouts are unknown. Sorry Arthur, but we have no connection to any underworld leader here in Izumo or even an informer in any underworld position," Camila said and sighed. Arthur knew what she felt like right now. They had no clue and in front of them stood a wall with no way around or above...but maybe underneath and for this, he had to get his paws dirty.

"What do you mean by an informer?"

The question came from Jiro, who looked confused to Arthur as if he had never heard of such a term. Slowly, Arthur and Camila turned their heads towards Jiro.

"An informer is a mammal in the inner circles of the criminal organization, which gives the police information...I mean every police in every city of the world have something like this, or am I now the mammal on the wrong side here," Arthur asked to check his own reality and turned for a short moment to Camila, who nodded and confirmed what he just said.

"We...we are not allowed to work with criminals in any kind. It is forbidden," Jiro replied and looked at Arthur and Camila as if he had said something idiotic when both watched him for a moment with open muzzles.

"By the three goddesses...now it makes sense. The empty case folder or the few information we got. The IPD isn't hiding anything...they don't know anything. ...but why? Why are you doing this," Arthur said chuckling but was surprised by the sudden outbreak of emotion from Jiro.

"Because it's a shame to work with outlaws! It...it dishonors every good and true member of the IPD. We follow this rule of no cooperation since one hundred fifty years and it works," Jiro shouted and drove another car length further, with now only two more in line before them. Even if it sounded more like a learned line from a book, than a real attitude, he got his point acc

Arthur and Camila looked for a moment at each other before her muzzle disappeared behind her paw, "Dios mio, there is no way to find a contact to the local underworld this fast. Something like this takes years of effort and experience and what's even more important – trust."

Camila was right, and Arthur was very well aware of this. Disappointed by this new insight, his gaze went over mammals walking bye. It was a group of Red Pandas. A father in a business suit together with a daughter at each of his paws. His eyes went wide for a moment.

'Maybe there's still a way… No there is, I know it. But I guess for this, I'll be on my own,' Arthur thought and turned back to Camila inspecting her for a moment. After some seconds she noticed his gaze, tilted her head a bit and gave him one of the prettiest smiles he had ever seen on a mammal, 'No, I'm not on my own. She would help me without a second thought. We're a team.'

Arthur smiled back at her before he turned to the car control in front of them. All in all, it took them until 8:53 AM to reach the conference room in the floor. Jiro, Arthur, and Camila shared a table for three in precisely this order. To Camila's right on another table sat already Otto and Frank Gernach. Otto always seemed to be ready for a fight, while his brother switched his gaze steadily between his watch and the door to the room. There were no other police officers until now. Just a large conference room for the five of them, with a view over the whole inner city and Oldtown, the Northern district of Izumo.

"What do you think he'll do," Arthur asked and looked at his own watch.

"Bennett," Camila asked back, to which Arthur just nodded, "Mmh...I guess he will order more agents to solve the problem. To lose an agent and then especially Paul would leave a deep scratch in his reputation. And if there is one thing, Bennett likes more than his own life, then it is his public reputation."

Arthur nodded, but just when Camila had ended her statement, the doors swung open, and multiple mammals entered the room. The lead had the Chief of the police of Izumo dressed like always in his finest uniform, followed by his son the Commissioner Yukimura Sanada, two other highly decorated police officers and finally Simon Bennett. None of the mammals looked happy, but Bennett seemed as if he hadn't much sleep last night.

The local police officers stood themselves near the door, just Bennett walked in the middle of the podium and behind the small speaker table.

"Good morning, Agents," Bennett said, but there was no response from the five mammals in front of him, just a nod.

"We all know by now what happened yesterday, but I still want to address the death of Paul Duncan, which…," Bennett began, but Otto Gernach was already on his hooves, shouting back at the old lion. He was enraged, and Arthur knew he wouldn't hold him back, "Death? You mean murder or even better an assassination! That one was going directly against us! Someone is after us!"

"Mr. Gernach,...I can understand that you're afraid…," Bennett replied but did already the next mistake, "Afraid? Afraid! I beg your pardon, Sir but I would say, that every Agent who sits here is ready to give his life in the lines of duty. But none of us is ready to run blindly into a trap! We are no idiots, Bennett. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here."

"I can assure you…,"

"Assure me? He knew about us, he knew where we would be and which police officers were assigned to us. We almost lost two agents, something like this has never happened...Well, except for Catacas," Otto continued and smiled at the lion. Arthur remembered the story Paul had told him, while they waited for Jiro to get a vehicle for them.

Leading Director Bennett had enough, that much was evident to everyone in the room, but despite the rough beginning, Bennett tried everything to keep his calm and with that the control over his agents.

"Are you done, Mr. Gernach?"

Snorting, Otto Gernach sat down but didn't take his eyes from the lion, "For now...yes."

"Good...Then I will directly address the main topic...Operation Foxcatcher is over. The ICOU is no longer investigating in this case. The state of the town is in right now is too...'unstable' to catch a criminal of this caliber."

Seconds of silence followed, and to Arthur's amazement, it was Camila who spoke, "Retreat? You want us to drew back after we lost one of our mammals? Paul would have never accepted anything like this. Nunca! (Niemals)"

"Ms. Sanchez, I'm aware that his death is affecting you more than any of us. Because of this, I would've recommended that you leave the team, even if the investigation would continue. Especially your emotional female side could bring problems to our work in the field," Bennett said in a cold tone. Speechless and with clenched fists, Camila sat at the table and could only stare at the old lion and his antique opinions. Arthur could just imagine how she felt and what was going right now through her mind. Right now, he would love nothing better than to take her paw and sooth her. But they weren't alone, and Arthur could already predict, that Camila was no one who liked to show her vulnerability.

Calmly, he stood up from his chair and crossed his arms on his back. Arthur wasn't nervous; he never had a problem to criticize someone when critique was needed. And right then it was more than needed, but like this morning he had no idea where it would bring him.

'We are a team. Camila and I...or at least I hope she will follow me on this.'

"Sir, Ms. Sanchez is maybe in grief but totally in control of herself and the situation. And I don't think that it is right now the right place or time to discredit your own agents," Arthur replied and didn't take his gaze of the old lion who looked in disgust back at him.

'That's no problem, that's something I'm used to,' Arthur thought but recognized that everyone was looking at him and especially Camila's gaze was full of worries. They were veterans, they had a reputation for criticizing Bennett, but not the new one.

"Mr. Lynch...You did until now good work for the sake of the investigation but I think you should keep your tongue in check, or your career here in the ICOU could be shorter than you think," Bennett replied, and Arthur could hear a quiet growl at the end of the lion's sentence. Arthur knew that he should stop now and follow orders, but this was not him.

"Sir, I'm not here for my career. I'm here to work together with the best agents on this planet to fight crime and help other mammals, no matter where they live or who they are. Maybe you have forgotten our maxim, but we're still here to serve, to protect and to improve the life of others," Arthur stated and looked directly into the eyes of his superior. He knew he crossed a line, but he also heard a chuckle from Otto, who seemed to be more than amused about his behavior

Whatever came next, Bennett tried his best to keep the image of a controlled leader, but his voice was shaking and often too loud, "Mr. Sanada and I tried to come to the best conclusion for the mammals in this town. To follow the lead of Kawasemi at this point could be dangerous and probably bring no more information. We have no lead, no further intel and the police forces of this town didn't allow us to contact criminals. My last command for you is the following, return to your cities. We give you more information as soon as we need you. Isn't that great for you to hear?"

"Great? How can it be great? We lost Paul," Arthur shouted at Bennett and slammed his fists on the table while he spoke. After some moments he continued to speak, "When I stepped yesterday morning for the first time in this room and saw all of you, I saw the heroes I heard so much about from other agents and my time in the training. It took some time for me to see and accept you as the mammals you are and not the images of heroes I had in my mind. I know, It was foolish from me to believe this in the first place, and all of that I can accept but…," Arthur took a moment and concentrated back on Bennett, "...I can not accept that the leader, who is such an experienced member and agent, is at the same time just a goddamn coward who wouldn't stand in for a fallen agent but instead he turns against those who he has to command."

Simon Bennett was trembling in rage when he heard Arthur's reply. When the old lion replied it was instantly but without any sign of regret.

"Get out Mr. Lynch...get out of this room before I forget myself," Simon Bennett bellowed in a voice that tried desperately to keep his calm but failed ultimately. Arthur was worried when he looked at Camila. Uncertain, she looked just down at her paws and waited. When he reached Bennett, Arthur took the golden ICOU badge from his belt and laid it on the table that stood before them. The old lion stood just with crossed arms in front of his last three agents and seemed not to believe what the wolf was doing there. Arthur had still his paw on the ICOU badge, when he spoke some last words to Simon Bennett, "If you think, that this will stop me from finding Kawasemi then you're wrong. I will take him into custody, bring him to the local authorities and he will get his punishment. Period."

Without another word, Arthur left the room. He could feel the eyes of the others on his back when he closed the door behind him. He knew it was too late now, he had made his decision, and he would stand to it.

'I think it's finally time for a cigarette,' Arthur decided and made five more steps to a metal ash bin that stood on a wall. He sat down on the red and surprisingly soft carpet, inhaling the grey smoke.

The door opened for a short moment but slammed with a loud bang back into its frame. It was the mammal that Arthur expected. Slightly grinning, Arthur sat with a cigarette in his left paw on the ground and listened to the mumbled curses in Spanish.

When Camila arrived, she sat beside Arthur and exhaled deeply.

"Pendejo(Asshole)," Camila said in a disgusted voice, to which Arthur replied h, "Sorry."

"Not you mi amor...Bennett," Camila replied and took the cigarette out of Arthur's paw when he raised it to his own muzzle. She inhaled deeply, waited some seconds and exhaled. When she handed the cigarette back to Arthur, she looked into a grinning face.

"What," She asked amused and chuckled a bit, while a cloud of smoke left her muzzle.

"The more I know about you, the more I fall for you, Camila," Arthur said with a smile and continued, "I never thought you would smoke."

"Once yes. Not much and mostly just to calm down from a stressful day or after...well you know...amore. The second occasion was way rarer than the first. But I stopped completely the day I learned that I'm pregnant with Valeria and never returned to my old habit...well until now."

"Seems like I'm a bad influence," Arthur said, but received a little poke from Camila, "Don't say that. It is not true."

"So...what happened," Arthur asked and handed the cigarette back to Camila, who took another puff before answering, "I asked him if there is no other way to continue the investigation and he replied, not for such a fragile female mammal like you. So I stood up and laid my badge beside yours and told him that we would find the mammal that killed Paul."

"You shouldn't…," Arthur began, but before he could end his sentence, Camila grabbed his paw and gave it a soft squeeze, "Hey! I said we are a team. Okay? I mean what I say and besides do you forget your promise from this morning?"

"Everything?"

A playful smile danced around her muzzle when she came closer towards Arthur placing a short kiss on his snout. She drew back and whispered, "Everything, mi amor."

Just when Arthur raised his paw to pull her closer to him and kiss her, the door to the conference room swung open once more and an intimidated deer walked out of the room, his gaze permanently on the floor. It was Frank Gernach, the quiet of the two brothers, who stood himself just beside the door and waited.

Not even a second later and the storm broke loose. Otto stepped outside but was still yelling and shouting inside the room and towards Bennett.

"Das werde ich Ihnen Nicht vergessen Bennett! Ich werde Beschwerde gegen sie einlegen beim ICOU und zwar bis sie sich wünschen werden diese Operation niemals übernommen zu haben(I will not forget that, Bennett! I will lodge a complaint against you in the ICOU headquarter and that I will do until the day you regret that you take over this operation!)," Otto was so enraged that he didn't even recognize that he was talking in his native language.

"Y-you used the wrong language, Otto," Frank said meekly from the side.

"Was(What)? Oh...yes! Go to hell Bennett," Otto shouted and slammed the door shut. Together with his brother, he walked towards Camila and Arthur. Still growling about what happened, the deer siblings sat beside Camila, who asked grinning to the two, "And what happened with you two?"

"I asked him if headquarters gave it's okay for aborting the mission and he said no. It's his decision and his alone. Pah, Idiot! Anyhow, I said, before we got no reply from HQ, I will not leave this city. From here on he got louder and louder. Bennett said, if you don't want to follow my orders, then you can just do like the other two...Well, one lead to the other and in the end...it could be...that I threw my badge at him...and then the one of my brother. Such a Dumbass," Otto ended his explanation and stared like the other three on the wall in front of them.

"That's it...the first mission we can't solve, verdammt!"

"They come," Frank said meekly, but no eye turned to the opening door. Not even when the group of police officers and Simon Bennett left the room or when they walked passed them. Just when two mammals stopped in front of them, Arthur looked up to see a nervous looking Jiro beside Commissioner Yukimura Sanada. Some last words directed at his father and the young wolf with the light brown and almost golden fur concentrated at Arthur. He waited until his father together with Bennett and the rest of the group was gone. Then he spoke to Arthur, "Are you still planning on catching the criminal. Even so, there is nothing for you to win?"

"Yes," Arthur replied short, but the next question was already coming at him, "Why?"

"Why, you ask? Isn't that obvious? He killed a lot of mammals...some of them which are important to us," Arthur said and could see that Camilla became serious beside him, when he said those last words, "He's a criminal who has to be stopped!"

"But those aren't the mammals you swore to protect. This isn't your town or your home. We don't even have the same native language or the same cultural background…," Commissioner Sanada began, but he was directly interrupted by Arthur, "Listen...I swore to protect ALL the mammals around me and this not just once but three times. As a cop, a ZBI agent and a member of the ICOU. And by the three goddesses...I'll keep my oath. Okay? I don't care who you are or where you're from. If you have a problem, then I'll help you. Period."

A smile appeared on Commissioner Sanada's muzzle when he asked the next question, "Would you like to work for me to solve this case? I can give you the resources and rights you need to continue an official investigation. With some restrictions of course."

"What do you mean?"

"I think this is not the right place to discuss such a matter, but I will tell you everything in my office. So, what is your decision, agents?"

Before Arthur even opened his muzzle had Camila already grabbed his paw and yanked him up beside her, "Yes! We two will work for you and that without a doubt," but turned in the same sentence to Otto and Frank, "And what is with you, chicos?"

Even the two brothers needed not long to decide and stood just seconds later beside Camila, both were more than determined to solve this case.

"We're in. Right, Frank," Otto replied and waited for Frank's node, that came immediately after.

"Very well. Follow me...You as well Mr. Nakamura," The Commissioner said and walked towards the elevators, by his side a terrible nervous Jiro, who didn't seem to know how he ended up in this situation. Arthur was aware that he also had no idea what he was doing here and that Camila was right now the driving force that dragged him along with her paw still around his left wrist.

In the elevator, Mr. Sanada pulled a shiny key out of his pocket and pushed it into the panel with the various floor options. Until now, it was possible to reach every floor from the number -5 to 44, but with the key as a verification device, there were now also the levels 45 to 50 available.

"Just high-rank officers get a key to the upper floors. Floor fifty is reserved just for the Chief of Izumo. Floor forty-nine is to one half reserved for the Commissioner of Execution, which is me and to the other half for the Commissioner of Administration, which is my younger brother Nobuyuki," Commissioner Sanada explained, while they reached the floor. The whole group left the metal cabin, but Arthur was suddenly no longer sure if he was in a skyscraper made of glass, steel, and concrete or an old wooden temple which was more than typical for this region. They entered a large hall, where they stood on a pavement that led in two directions, but every two meters stood a massive redwood gate without a door, that had a lot of white symbols carved into its pillars. Outside of the pavement, existed something like a small park, with trees, grass and seating options. The peaceful atmosphere of the garden seemed to have an immediate effect on the mammals. Arthur felt calmer when he watched a small pond on which even appeared to live some fishes, even Camila relaxed and took a deep breath when she felt the changed atmosphere of the office tower which laid underneath them. Everything in here remembered Arthur very much of the lobby, just with the difference that they were here multiple hundred meters above ground.

Commissioner Sanada, who had crossed his paws on his back turned to the left and began immediately to move. All other mammals, obviously impressed by the interior walked some meter behind the wolf. Arthur, who walked with Camila and Jiro at the end of the small group, leaned down to Jiro and asked him whispering, "Why are those gates here, Jiro?"

In the same whispering voice, Jiro replied, "Those gates are called Torii, and you find them most of the time on the way to a shrine of the three goddesses, here in the eastern region."

"And what is their meaning," Camila asked whispering to the young fox, who explained further, "They are sacred, and they symbolize the transition from the mundane world into a shrine or place of high value."

"Great…, leading mammals who think of themselves as some divine beings. I thought the temple in the entrance area with the ponds is already fancy but this here...beats it a hundred times," Arthur whispered to Camila and Jiro. Camila poked Arthur slightly with her elbow in his side and smiled at him. He knew he shouldn't have said that and she was there to remind him.

"Sorry," Arthur replied, and Camila acknowledged it with a nod.

After the tenth Torii gate, they reached a double-sided wooden sliding door, decorated with beautiful printed paper, which Commissioner Sanada opened for his guests. Behind it, appeared a small reception area with a white vixen as the receptionist. The ambiance remembered Arthur of Jiro's home, wood was the dominating factor, but everything looked way more expensive and everything was decorated in the three colors of the Sanada family, gold, black and red.

In contrast to the lower floors was everything in this part of the building furnished like the office of a four-hundred-year-old lord. The ground was covered in light brown tatami mattresses which were even softer than the one in Jiro's living room, the walls, however, were made of paper and wood on which were painted sceneries in black, which showed historical events of the city and the Sanada family.

'These rooms are just like the whole city. The outer walls are made of new elements like steel and glass but deep inside rules still the old and unchanged core,' Arthur thought and had no good feeling about this.

Even the vixen behind a small reception table wore no police uniform but a scarlet kimono with black flowers on it, which were framed by fine golden lines. She raised from her kneeling position as soon as she saw the Commissioner enter the room. With a bowed head she went to him and received some instructions from her superior. Commissioner Sanada led the mammals directly into a conference room, that laid before his main office.

On the ground were again the conventional tatami mattresses and a massive round table in the middle of the room.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," Commissioner Sanada said and sat alone on one side of the table and on the opposite side of Frank, Otto, Jiro, and Camila. Arthur was the only one, who wandered to the only interesting objects in the room, which stood left to his group and to the right of Commissioner Sanada. With his paws in his pockets, Arthur walked to an ebony sword stand, which was made for three swords but only two rested in the precious dark wood. In the lowest of the three positions rested a short sword, with a blood red, black, and gold decorated sheath, a black and golden handguard, and a black handle. In the middle section sat a pure black sword, that showed no signs of any other color.

"You're missing a sword, Mr. Sanada," Arthur noted.

The white vixen entered the room with a small tablet and multiple stone cups of tea on it, which she immediately began to serve to every mammal at the table.

The commissioner looked tired but began to explain what Arthur saw in front of him, "Those swords are the legacy of my family. The missing sword is always passed on from one head of the family to the next. It should be in the office of my father...or, so I assume. What you see there in the middle is the sword which belongs always to the oldest son and has the name Murasame. At last, we have there the sword of the oldest daughter, the blade is named Akane. I have no sisters and so the blade of the, how we call her 'War Princess', is in my possession too."

"You have an interesting family history but tell me...Your father knows nothing about this meeting. Right, Commissioner Sanada," Arthur asked and turned to his surprised group of agents, who looked at first to Arthur and then the Commissioner. But he just folded his paws, closed his eyes and answered with a short, "Yes."

"Why?"

Commissioner Sanada took his time before he answered, "This town is at a turning point. The Yakuza are in an imbalance because of Kawasemi's attack on the Yoshimura family. It led to a gaping pit of power that everyone wants to take for themselves. But what's even worse is that Kawasemi showed them that they can use every method imaginable to get what they want. While they abandon their old rules, I'm bound to mine, and as long as I'm the Commissioner of this city, I'm not able to change them."

"What is with your father? Why can't he do something," Camila asked while she took a sip from her tea.

"My father is old and too weak to admit that his way of leading and protecting this city is no longer working. As you know, we have no mammals in the ranks of any Yakuza family or Clan, no intel about their armory, connections or strength because our 'honor' doesn't allow us to act. Just look at this floor with shrine Gates, old fashioned rooms and a handmaiden to serve us. We have developed new technologies, but our mindscape has never progressed after the battle of Sekigahara. We are stuck, and I need your help," Commissioner Sanada answered, looking slowly from one mammal to the other.

"To address the elephant in the room...you want that we get our paws dirty, to proceed in the case, right?"

Arthur asked and looked with crossed arms in front of his chest down at the Commissioner.

"Yes, you are correct Mr. Lynch."

Half a minute passed in which Arthur sat down at the table and thought about everything until he answered.

"I'll help you," Arthur answered, and it didn't even take a second before a similar answer came from Camila, who smiled mildly at Arthur, "And so do I."

"We will also help you. The ICOU is maybe a thing of the past for us...but at least we want to close this case for our internal record, " Otto said and his silent brother, Frank, nodded enthusiastically.

"Excellent," Mr. Sanada exclaimed and smiled even a little bit while his gaze wandered to Jiro, who still seemed unsure what he was doing here, "Officer Nakamura, I guess I can count on you to support Mr. Lynch and Ms. Sanchez further? Give them shelter, meals and support them in their work to catch Kawasemi?"

The young fox looked dazzled and amazed at his superior but managed after some seconds to nod.

"Very well. And as soon this whole case is closed, there should be a spot for you in the detective training," Commissioner Sanada replied, while Jiro's mouth opened but it took some time until his muzzle could form words, "B-b-but Sir, I thought only high born mammals could become detectives?"

"That's right, but I think it is also time to change some things in this town and why not start with you as the first fox detective in this city," Commissioner Sanada said, while he wrote something on a piece of paper. Thankful for this great opportunity in the nearby future, Jiro bends his head down to the ground onto his paws which were pressed against the floor and exclaimed loudly, "Thank you very much, Sanada-sensei for this incredible offering...I will not disappoint you!"

Arthur and Camila smiled at their designated officer, who seemed proud about the upcoming training to be maybe the first fox who ever worked as a police detective in this town, that was torn between the new and the old. To finish this conversation and get on with work Commissioner Sanada turned his gaze back to Arthur, "Mr. Lynch, I want that you lead this operation...the name will not change."

"I...I think someone with more experience should lead us,not…," Arthur began, but Camila held his snout closed with her left paw. Just for a second he was surprised how much strength she had in her paw but remembered after another glance of her arm and body, that under this short black and partly grey fur, was a trained feline body for the hunt on criminals.

"He accepts the offer gladly Commissioner Sanada...or have you two any complains about him as our leading mammal," Camila asked the grinning Otto. Frank looked embarrassed nodding to the other side of the room, but his brother answered instantly and almost laughing, "As long as you have him under your paw like this...I think there should be no problem."

"Good," Camila replied smiling and took her left paw from Arthur's snout.

"Nun gut, Mr. Lynch. What are your first orders for us?"

Still slightly uncomfortable with the situation, Arthur gave a severe look to Camila, who in return stuck out her tongue a bit, but in a way that only he could see it. He knew the two were good, but Arthur wasn't sure if they would follow there first and maybe craziest of all commands until now.

"How good are you two in tailing mammals?"

"You have two of the best in this profession in front of you. At least if it comes to surveillance. So, who do we should tail for you? A Yakuza boss, maybe you have a certain fox in mind or…, " Otto replied grinning, while Frank began to look interested at the grey wolf.

"I have someone in mind...but at first. Mr. Yukimura, who came up with the idea to stop the investigation?"

"That was Leading Agent Bennett. To be honest, my father thought he would continue the investigation to close this case and catch the criminal," Commissioner Yukimura replied and took a sip from his tea, while Arthur turned to his fellow agents. All three sat there with a slightly open muzzle.

"There you have your target, Otto. I want that you tail the old lion and that twenty-four hours. I know it's highly unusual to do this to the leading agent of the ICOU...but despite his will to leave the investigation, I have the feeling he's the one who works together with Kawasemi. Until now it's just a feeling and this suspicious behavior. I also have no idea why he's doing this, but right now he is our best chance to find new clues," Arthur said, and he felt how the eyes of five mammals were staring at him. It didn't take long, and Camila, Otto, and Frank thought about the idea. He knew he struck a nerve in the three agents. Jiro, who just finished cleaning his glasses with a small piece of cloth, seemed not so surprised about this idea and so he asked, "And what will we do, Arthur?"

"Well, we three will go drink a coffee and make some calls. Are you interested," Arthur asked and received a dazzled look from Jiro but a smile from Camila, who said in teasing voice back, "Ohhh, you're inviting me to a date?"

When Arthur realized what he just said, it was already too late, and he joined the chuckle. The two brothers were already in a conversation with Commissioner Sanada, and because of this, Camila bowed her head over to Arthur so that she could whisper into his ear.

"I will still count it as a first date, mi amor," Camila said and gave him a small kiss on his cheek, unseen by the others.

'I wish she had any idea, how much I want that this whole investigation was already over,' Arthur thought and sighed heavy.


	35. Home Calling

" _Is this how it goes? You fall in love, and nothing seems truly scary anymore, and life is one big possibility?" ― Jenny Han_

* * *

 **Arthur**

* * *

Daydreaming about the last hours, Arthur played with the coin Paul gave him shortly before the explosion and looked at the wooden seal of the Sanada family, that laid in front of him on the small glass table. The Commissioner had given one of this pentagonal redwood plates with the gold and black sigil of his clan to each remaining member of operation Foxcatcher. With it, they could command every police officer in town and request backup in the case of an emergency or at least that was what the Commissioner had told them. Along with this piece of authority, every team received a newly developed communication device, that worked just on encrypted frequencies and was usable all over town. Arthur had never seen such a device, but the test showed that it worked better than expected.

Together with the Commissioner, they decided that they would treat, from this moment on, the whole operation as an undercover mission, in which they would try to stay as far away from the police of Izumo as possible to create no apparent connection. They could use the help of the local police but just in an absolute emergency situation.

After an exclusive lunch with the Commissioner, all of them went their separate ways. The Gernach siblings began their surveillance of Simon Bennett, who still had work to do with the Chief of the police but even he should leave the town this evening. Time would tell if the old lion had really other intentions than leading agents in a mission of the ICOU.

Camila, Arthur, and Jiro, searched for a Cafe in the downtown area and there were not too few coffee shops, Cafe and some interesting looking bakeries, but the most crucial part was missing. They needed a place to make long-distance calls, something that could be done just in unique shops that provided such a service. Arthur did his best to find a place which looked like a decent cafe, in which he could invite Camila and also Jiro, but in the end, they picked a small arcade that offered a decent canned coffee out of a vending machine and cards to make long-distance calls to other towns.

Here at the glass front of the Arcade, where a lot of mammals passed by, Camila and Arthur sat on a table for three in a calmer area of the arcade, between mammals in their teenage years who just finished their school day. Together they watched how Jiro waited in line to buy a telephone card for Arthur. It was still strange for the two agents to see the young fox no longer in his police uniform but in jeans, shirt and a blue jacket.

"That must be by far the worst first date you ever had," Arthur said and took a sip from his coffee, which was way too sweet for his taste but better this, than anything else from the vending machine that was probably even sweeter. He leaned back in his chair, put the seal back into his inner suit pocket and looked at Camila, who held her coffee can with both of her paws. When Arthur said this, he pressed the heavy silver coin in frustration until he felt a slight pain from his paw.

"Actually...no. There was this one guy, Fernando was his name, who invited me for dancing. I told him I wasn't good at it, but he claimed that every Senorita can dance and if not he would teach me. The males down in South Mammelia can flatter you to hell and back, I tell you. So I went with him to a dance night, and when I say dance night, I mean tango, samba, merengue, and all that jazz. Anyhow, I prepared myself as best as I could. Took some dance lessons with my brother, picked a short yellow dress and even put a yellow flower at my ear. When he picked me up, he said I look stunning," Camila said and looked bitter at the can in her paws. There was this feeling of a sting in Arthur's stomach when he listened to Camila's story, but he also could feel how it bugged him when she talked about other male mammals, even so, it was in the past.

"I bet you looked wonderful...not that you don't look wonderful right now…I mean...sorry I'm not good at giving compliments," Arthur replied and looked slightly embarrassed at his own can. It was exactly this answer put a smile on Camila's face. She reached out for Arthur's wrist and laid her left paw on it, "Do you know why I like you so much, Arthur?"

"Honestly? I have no idea," Arthur replied. With droopy grey ears, he looked over to her.

"When you say something you really mean it. Like the story about the orchids. But a male from Catacas? For most of them, the are compliments like breathing, they do it so much that it barely counts. That's also an important lecture, which a female mammal in South Mammelia has to learn...and sometimes they have to learn that the hard way," Camila said and pulled her paw back.

"So...you?"

There was again a bitter smile on her face when she proceeded, "Sweet words are like honey, it tastes great at first, but the longer you eat, the more you stick to it and the more it hurts when you try to come free...I think in the end I learned to prefer the truth, no matter how painful it may be."

"What happened?"

"Well, we did our first dances, and so far everything was fine. When the band played a slow dance, we had finally time to talk with each other. He was of course very nice to me, well at least until he asked me if there is someone else in my life. Honest how I am, I said yes, and he looked dazzled at me as if I slapped him on the muzzle. When I told him that I have a three-year-old daughter, he parted suddenly from me and took a step back. I was totally confused when he looked at me with this disgusted gaze. The moment I stepped closer and wanted to go back into the dancing position, he held me back. I asked him what's wrong but recognized that the music had stopped. I looked around me and saw that the eyes of every mammal in the hall was on him and me. Without any sympathy, he looked at me and asked what for a mother leaves her child and husband alone, while she's dancing here with him.

He didn't know that I was a single mother, trying to bring up a child...but he also didn't care. His opinion was set in stone, and so was the opinion of everyone else there. I was the bad guy in this story. So I left, and that was the one and the only date I had after Valeria was born," Camila explained to Arthur and looked as if she wanted to say something else but was unsure if she should really do it. This story was years old, but Arthur could still feel how anger crept in his mood. He knew how it felt to be outcasted by those he swore to protect. It was one of the worst feelings a police officer or agent could have.

"It was the first time where I…, " Camila stopped speaking, and Arthur saw how she clenched her paws tightly together, "No...no...I can't say that. I don't want that him to think bad about me…" She thought to herself.

But Arthur already knew, what she wanted to say and so he finished her thought, "You doubted yourself and your daily work. You asked yourself, for whom do I do this? Are they worth to be protecting? Because in the end, they will never accept what I am or want... you're not alone with those thoughts, Camila. I had those too, and I think most mammals in our profession know them and they're nothing bad, and they show that we're just mammals," Arthur said and looked into eyes that slowly filled with tears.

For a second fear rose in him, about the thought that he made her cry, but when she took his head into her paws, he felt that it were tears of relief and maybe even joy. Arthur felt in this short moment something like a bond between him and Camila, and he knew that he needed her to feel complete.

What followed was a kiss. One which Arthur at first wanted to break off because he knew that this wasn't the right place and time, but as soon as their lips met, he knew he had lost. He gave in and waited till Camila would end it, but she didn't. Slowly, Arthur raised his paw and caressed Camila's cheek.

'What are you doing there! You should stop it, not continue...but on the other paw she smells and tastes so good…,' Arthur's inner dialogue was continuing, and it needed all his self-control again to part from her. Now, where he knew that Camila liked him, it was a thousand times harder.

"I'm sorry that I'm again the one who ruins everything…, " Arthur began. Camila snapped out of her little high state and recognized that a group of vixen in school uniforms was staring at them.

"Dios mio… No...no. You're right, Arthur. I lost control. I'm sorry."

"Please don't be sorry. I liked it...and you gave the vixen over there one hell of a show but I think the other wolves didn't like so much," Arthur said smiling and nodded to the group of vixens and the wolf couple which walked straight out of the Arcade. Most of them realized that they were seen and it was time for them to walk loud giggling back into the arcade with all its games and attractions. With a shaking head, Camila sat beside Arthur and giggled jolly at him.

"Dios mio, Arthur. I act like a female in her early twenties."

"I have nothing against a little bit of passion, " Arthur replied and licked over his lips to get the last bit of her taste, "In fact, I liked it."

"I'm sure you did," Camila replied with a grin.

"But please tell me, Camila. Why the tears?"

"Oh...don't worry. Those were tears of joy...It was just so relieving to know, that there is somebody who understands me and doesn't say that it is wrong that I think like that or that I'm a bad agent because of my thoughts. It...it feels good to have someone like you around, with you I feel no longer so alone with my work and feelings," Camila said, smiling at Arthur.

'No longer so alone...yeah, that's how it feels. I know I have John and Marie, watching out for me, "but this here is different,' Arthur thought and kept his eyes some seconds longer on the black feline who had turned her head to Jiro and his spot in the row.

The last mammal in front of Jiro paid, and It was finally his turn to buy the card Arthur needed to make the call. Both agents waited with anticipation that the fox was returning, when Camila asked, "Just for my interest, whom do you contact in Zootopia and even more interesting what will he do?"

Grinning like the devil, Arthur began to explain, "I'll contact my partner in the ZBI. His name is John. He's also the one I mentioned this morning, the one who's for me like a brother. However, John will contact someone in the Zootopia underworld who owns us a favor, and that one will then again contact someone here in the city of Izumo, who will hopefully help us."

"You can't tell me the name of the organization?"

"I could...But I don't want to. Speaking out the name could already cause a little uprising, and as much as I know, they've their ears everywhere," Arthur said and gazed at the suspicious looking Camila. Soothing, he bowed towards her and laid his paw on her, "Believe me, you'll be the first who will know whom I contact. I Promise."

Obviously satisfied with that answer, Camila sat back and replied, "I told you that I trust you, mi amor. Whenever you think it's time to tell me, I'm ready. I know that we sometimes have to keep secrets to ourselves. That's our job."

"Thank you."

A smile flashed once more over the muzzle of the feline and the canine before their eyes went back to the returning Jiro, who seemed to be in a great mood.

"What's wrong, Jiro? You look as if you have won something," Arthur said and chuckled a little bit about his own joke.

"Almost, I got a coupon for a bathhouse visit. Fifty percent off! That's great! Oh and that one is for you, Arthur," Jiro handed Arthur something like a pure white credit card.

"Okay, how long can I talk with that thing? 3000 Sen is not a little amount for calling to the other side of the world," Arthur replied jokingly and stood with the card in his paws up.

"Sumimasen, Arthur. Unfortunately, you can call just thirty minutes with it but I can give back the card, and you can receive the remaining amount of money," Jiro replied and sat down beside Camila. As soon as the fox sat down, he began to clean his glasses.

"Tse, almost forty bucks at home. Whatever...You two can think about something we want to do afterward. It will take a while until they reply and I think it'll be best we appear like tourists, don't so don't forget that. " Arthur said and stood up. Camila raised two of her fingers to a little salute and replied, "Si Senor."

Jiro, who didn't seem to get the joke, bowed deep and shouted loud, "Hai!"

Arthur sighed and turned smiling to Jiro, "Keep an eye on her, Jiro. Ms. Sanchez seems to be cocky today."

"Hai," Jiro replied dazzled but remained silent as if he didn't understand what Arthur meant with that. Finally, with the card in his paws, Arthur walked over to the rows of telephones. He chose one from where he could watch his two companions and where Camila saw him. It was strange to see Jiro without his police uniform.

He and Camila began to talk about the plans for today. Arthur called the number he could recite in his sleep. It took a while before it connected to Zootopia which was on the other side of the world.

"Come on, I know it's late but please take the damn call, John," Arthur whispered to himself, while he stared at the phone and then at his watch that still had the old Zootopia time.

'Dammit, it's 1 AM at home...I know John has just a light sleep...he should hear it.

Someone picked up the call, and the first thing he heard was a loud yawn, followed by John's sleepy voice, "Yeah...I have no idea who's calling to this ungodly hour...but have you any idea which time it is?"

"Almost one in the morning, buddy," Arthur said with a glance to the watch on his left wrist.

"Arthur?"

Arthur's friend John, who was also his partner at the ZBI, was obviously confused to receive a call from him this late at night.

"I hope I didn't disturb you and Marie during...I don't know, anything important," Arthur said and grinned a little bit. From the other side came just the sound of short and sleepy laughter.

"Funny...you know we're married, right? If I remember correctly, then you were there. You even stood beside us. So like normal mammals around this time, we were sleeping. Snuggling is planned for tomorrow evening," John replied, and both mammals chuckled for a moment.

"What's wrong, Arthur? You're two days away and already missed my voice?"

Arthur could already imagine, how John stood in his kitchen and leaned against his fridge, the phone in his right paw, staring out of the window and watching over the mostly dark Zootopia. Maybe here and there would shine a light.

"I have to ask for a favor."

"In the middle of the night...Wait...What happened," John asked and changed in the fraction of a second from joking buddy to the ZBI agent he was. It was one of the reasons that Arthur usually liked about his best friend, but he hadn't minded talking another minute or two to his best buddy and not the tough agent he also was.

"I can't give you too much information about the current situation here in Izumo because you're no member of the ICOU…," Arthur began, but John interrupted him hard, "Cut the crap, Arthur! You know that this official talk will not work on me. What's going on over there?"

Arthur suddenly had to make a decision, he knew what would happen if Marie knew about the current situation. She would set heaven and hell in motion and take the next plane to Izumo.

"Alright, alright, you would get the information sooner or later through the news... but promise me, John. Don't tell, Marie?" Arthur asked and knew it was now on John to fight his own little fight. It took some seconds and a deep sigh from the other end of the phone before John had made up his mind.

"Fine...even so, I don't like it to lie to her... we both know what happens if she finds out. Now speak to me. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am...more or less, but that's not the point right now...Okay, listen and stay calm...We lost an agent."

"What!?"

"I told you to stay calm, goddammit! Do you want to wake her?"

"NO!...no. I'm sorry...but how could this happen? They have the best of the best, and now even you're a part of them. Are you fighting against the whole Yakuza of the eastern city-states or maybe another big crime syndicate in town? What's going on? Who is your enemy?"

'The enemy...I have no idea who's friend or foe right now. Well, at least I'm sure about one mammal,' Arthur thought and looked up to Camila, who was right now studying a map of the town together with Jiro, who pointed out some interesting places.

"No...our target is only one mammal. A fox."

"A...fox? That's it?"

'No, that wasn't all, but I better keep for myself that I suspect the former leader of our group to work together with Kawasemi. If he knew that, even Arthur had no idea what John would do then.

For the moment, John was speechless, and that was something that rarely happened. The only other time Arthur could remember was when Marie asked him to marry her. It was maybe something unusual for normal mammals to do, but not for the two of them. For Arthur, they were like two of a kind, they were made to be together.

"Who did you lose?"

"John, please. Is that really important?"

"Tell me who...or I wake her, and you'll make the rest of the conversation with Marie. And by the three goddesses, we both know how this will end!"

Arthur ground his teeth about this demand but he had to accept this, or the outcome would be way worse.

"Paul, the mammal who died, was Paul Duncan. He died during an explosion of a car bomb. I was there...but I'm fine. The problem is, we have no more leads, no real suspect and only some clues and on top of this no connection to the Izumo underworld. To solve this thing, I have to meet some bad guys, and I think you know what that means."

"Yeah...you want from me that I contact the Red Panda and ask for a favor, right?"

"Right."

"Ugh...Give me five minutes to think about all of this."

Arthur heard how John laid the phone down on the kitchen table and how he opened the door to his balcony. His friend would smoke a cigarette, something he would definitely regret as soon as Marie was awake, and then come back to tell him that he knew what he had to do. Those were John's five minutes in which he made his decisions, and neither Marie nor Arthur were able to force him out of this. It also didn't matter which decision he made, he would pursue just this one thing when John had once made up his mind.

This time, it took John five and a half minute until he returned to the phone, which was longer than usual. But the situation was anything but typical. When he spoke, the worries in John's voice were undeniable.

"I will contact him and ask for the favor...and I'll also try to keep my mouth shut as long as I can in front of Marie. But you and I know that she will understand that something strange is going on...and when she understands what...Well, you know what happens then."

"Yes, I know, but you have to understand, John. I don't want you two in Izumo. Not her and not you. It's too dangerous at the moment."

"Believe me, I understand that...but you know, you're like the brother she, and I never had. She would do anything for you...and so would I, buddy."

"Thanks, John."

"And...Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"Don't do anything reckless...Promise me that. We need you."

Arthur wanted to say so many things he felt or had on his mind. He had no idea how this whole case would turn out, this could also be the last time he could speak to his best friend. But he couldn't. It was as if something was closing up his throat and allowing him not to speak freely. When he raised his gaze up to the table and saw that Camila was smiling at him, he had the sudden urge to tell his best friend about her. It was maybe the most stupid thing he could do right now, but he just wanted to talk with somebody about her. He wanted to tell anybody what he felt. He wanted to share what he just found for himself.

"I...I will try my best, John...ehm...," Arthur answered and waited for a short while before John continued, "Okay, Arthur. What do you want to tell me? I know that 'ehm' just too well. There's still something on your mind. Am I right?"

Arthur heard his friend but could just continued to look at Camila, who watched him from the table where he sat not long ago. Her head rested slightly tilted on her folded paws, which were supported by her arms. A seductive smile was on her muzzle while she looked directly into Arthur's eyes.

"Arthur?"

'Dammit wolf, you forget yourself every time you look at her…,' Arthur thought with a grin but kept the eye contact with her.

"Do you remember, when you said to me once, that one day I'll find my Marie…my better half."

"Yeah?"

"I think I found her."

"*cough* What?" John asked confused and was so surprised by the answer that he swallowed badly, "Really?! *cough* Who is she and how is she? What's her name? And is she from Izumo? Maybe a pretty female wolf in a Kimono? Come on tell me, Arthur!"

Curiosity, John's second significant weakness after his overthinking. He loved news and gossip, especially about mammals he knew. Arthur sighed before he answered.

"Not even close, John. She's a fellow agent, and right now it's too soon to say anything definitive...but...I really like her. I'm almost tempted to use the other L-word…, " Arthur said and looked dreamy at Camila, who suddenly turned her gaze embarrassed to the side, all while she was still talking with Jiro. The fox looked confused but continued in the end to study the map in front of him.

"Wow, the big L-word and that from someone who's just known as Mr. Freeze to all the ladies in the Bureau," John said and began to chuckle. It was one of his addictive chuckles, in which Arthur joined in immediately, "Yeah, I know... it's a stupid name the female agents of the ZBI gave me, but it seems like Camila could melt some of the ice."

A short silence followed before John asked, "Wait...do you mean Camila Sanchez? She's the one you're into?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Wow, I mean you know Marie and me. We will always stay behind you...but expect to get a lot of headwinds. You know mammals are idiots, especially when it comes to things like different species."

"I know, I know...but, you also know that I have never chosen the easy way, " Arthur said while a burst of bellowing laughter came from the other side of the phone, "Yeah... that's true. And Arthur?"

"Yes, John?"

"Marie woke up. I've got to go back to bed, so I have to keep it short...You'll do me a favor now, Arthur."

Chuckling about the reversed roles, Arthur replied smiling, "Whatever you want, John."

"Be careful and keep an eye out for your sweetheart and yourself. I want to meet the female that managed to steal Arthur Lynch's heart...and I bet Marie will as well."

"Will do, buddy. And now back to your wife or I get trouble when I come back home."

"Tse, you'll get into trouble if you want or not. See you later, big guy," John said, and Arthur could hear how his partner slowly hung up the phone. A deep sigh escaped his muzzle before he hung up himself and wanted to take back the white card. A small digital screen showed him that he had talked sixteen minutes with John and that there were still fourteen minutes left on the card.

'Maybe someone else can make good use of this,' Arthur thought, took the cart and walked directly back to his two companions. Jiro was still studying the map and smiled up to Arthur when he approached the table, Camila however, pretended to watch a nearby couple at a nearby table.

"You two had fun?"

"Oh yes. Camila told me that she learned during a lot of observations in her past how to read lips, " Jiro said and marked several locations on the map with a pen. Smirking, Arthur turned to Camila and understood now why she acted like this when he spoke with John about her.

"Oh did she? Well, Miss Sanchez, could you get any information from the private conversation, that I had with my friend?"

"Maybe," Camila answered. Unexpected for Jiro and Arthur, Camila stood up from her place and tried to walk past Arthur, but he blocked her way with his stretched out arm. He looked directly into her brown eyes and waited that she spoke, "I want to go to the restrooms. If that's okay?"

"Absolutely okay," Arthur replied still smiling and laid the card for the long distance calls into the palm of her black paw. Confused, Camila looked at him and waited for an answer, "For what do I need that?"

Arthur took a quick look at his watch before he answered, "Right now, it's almost 7 PM in Catacas. The perfect time to say 'Buenas Noches' to little kittens before they go to bed, don't you think?"

The gaze that Arthur saw from her was like the one before the phone call, where both of them waited for Jiro and Camila lost control over the things she wanted to do. And if Arthur was right, then she was fighting right now with herself, but this time she could keep it together. Happy about the unexpected gesture, Camila answered, "Si, it's a perfect time doing this and gracias, Arthur. I will properly repay you."

On her way around him, she took his tail into her paw and stroked carefully along the fur. It was a gesture just between the two of them, and Arthur had to take a deep breath not to follow her instantly, but the message was clear for him.

Slowly relaxing, he sat down beside Jiro and looked at the map. It seemed they had discussed and marked multiple locations they could visit. Some of them looked even for a cultural snob like Arthur quite interesting.

Camila sat at the same phone on which Arthur sat not even minutes ago, and it was also no secret when she had finally the chance to talk to her daughter. Camila's whole face lit up, and she laughed whenever her daughter said something to her. Somehow, it made Arthur happy to see her like this. And just for a moment, he imagined how it would be to be a father and to take care of a child. The thought alone scared him but the thing that scared him, even more, was the fact that this could soon be his reality. But was he really ready for something like that? Arthur didn't know and pushed the thought and everything that was connected with it into the back of his mind.

"You are a good mammal, Arthur, "Jiro said, while he looked up from the map and pushed his glasses back up to his eyes from where they have slipped down his muzzle.

"Oh….Am I," Arthur replied chuckling.

"You could have got your money back, but instead you gave a mother the opportunity to talk to her daughter."

"That was just fourteen bucks...it's...it's not worth mentioning," Arthur replied and leaned back on his chair, watching Camila talking to her daughter. He couldn't hear her, but she looked more than happy, smiling like this.

"But you still did it."

"Mmh…," A low growl escaped his muzzle before he tried to concentrate back on Camila but something else was distracting him this time. He felt that the communication device he received from the Commissioner was vibrating in his jacket. Eagerly, he took it out and held it to his ear, "Yes, Lynch here?"

"Bennett left the Police Headquarter and is now back at his hotel. We have good and bad news about it."

"What's the good thing?"

"The good thing is, that he is in the same hotel me and my brother used...Kannst du bitte auf die Straße schauen? Danke Frank! (Can you please watch the road? Thanks, Frank!), "Otto shouted and Arthur, who almost expecting such a reaction, held the communication device some inches away from his ear.

"Okay...and what's the bad thing?"

"The bad thing is, that he extended his stay for two more days. We drive right now through town to blur our traces and will return in some minutes to the hotel which stands opposite of Bennetts. There we will take a room, from where we can observe him. His apartment is already wired... I tell you, Arthur, the more I think about this whole thing, the more I understand what's going on here," Otto replied, and he sounded as if he was utterly in his element.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe it was no coincidence that Paul died first...You see, Bennett hated Paul and vice versa, but none of them would admit that openly. Especially after the events in Catacas...you know what happened there?"

"More or less, yes. Paul told me about it."

"Good, good. That saves time. Anyhow, that whole thing was a massive failure for Bennett and someone accused him of risking easily the lives of those he commanded. It didn't looked good for him and He was almost out of the ICOU but could persuade a committee, which should decide about his future. What should I say, if the damned lion can two things it's fighting for himself and talking. Anyhow, he managed to stay and now we're here. With a stolen list of ICOU agents which is worth millions and a leading agent who has massive debts and a lot of anger against the institution he build up together with others."

Interested about this new development, Arthur straighten in his seat, "He has what?"

"Massive debts. Or how my Papa liked to call it, einen Arsch Voll Schulden," Otto stopped to laugh for a moment about his own joke. Instead of listening to Otto, a new wave of thoughts rushed through Arthur's mind, all leading to one conclusion, he needed more information.

"What? How's that?"

"You know, our good guy, Simon Bennett, has a massive problem with gambling. Everyone in the ICOU knows that, but nobody seems to care. But the same thing killed his marriage. Twenty years he was married to this lioness who worked as a professor in Oxford. Twenty years. No one knows what happened and from one to the other day, they went their separate ways. Until now I thought each their own but now…," Otto explained, and the line went silent for some seconds before Arthur pushed the button to talk.

"Otto, you said earlier that it's no surprise that Paul died first, why?"

"Oh verdammt...Kacke! That damned traitor," Otto shouted and Arthur had to hold the phone away from his ear.

"What? What happened," Arthur was confused and looked at Jiro who listened to the whole conversation but also just shrugged, "Otto, explain what's going on here! Please."

"I have a theory…"

"Okay, what for a theory?"

"Okay, this could sound crazy! Kawasemi, I think he was nothing but a red herring or scapegoat for Bennett. We were his aim...and this from the very beginning. He wants us and the damn money!"

"What are you talking about? God dammit explain yourself, Otto," Arthur felt how anger was rising in him and that the feeling he had about this situation became worse with every passing second Otto was talking.

"He's after us. He wants us and not just the money. He wants the agents who initiated the committee to kick him out of the ICOU and then take the money to have a fantastic retirement without sorrow. This fucking scumbag," Otto growled on the other side of the communication device.

"Okay, if I remember the rules correctly, then you need three mammals to initiate such a committee. If Paul was one of the three, who were the other two?"

"My dad was one of them. Tse, until now I thought he died under mysterious circumstances, but now I'm no longer so sure...I have to open that case again. If it really was Bennett...this damned piece of shit!"

"Otto concentrate! Who was the last mammal who supported the committee?"

'Please give me a name, any name but not her. Any god damn agent but not her...please by the love of the three goddesses,' Arthur prayed for the first time in ages that he was wrong and that this was all a big misunderstanding, but it didn't seem like it.

During this whole conversation, Arthur didn't even recognize that he stood up and that a worried Jiro stood beside him, listening to every word Otto was saying. It was their luck that there was nobody around who could eavesdrop on them.

"You are no idiot, Arthur. So, I think you know the answer to that question already...Listen, after all what I told you...this is just my theory and with that a possibility, nothing more," Otto replied, and Arthur's gaze went instantly to the still laughing Camila.

'No, no, no...not her. Anyone but not her! Dammit. Come down, Arthur. It doesn't matter what Bennett wants to do, you will protect her no matter what happens,' Arthur yelled and shouted internally, but on the outside, he just sat back on his chair and waited for Otto to speak again.

"...Listen, we enter the underground parking lot soon. I will contact you later, okay?"

"Fine...until later and don't do anything reckless," Arthur answered and received just a piece of last advice, "Alright, just a little advice from a fellow agent on the same death mission. Tell her or tell her not. It's your decision but I know I wouldn't lie to Camila Sanchez or hold back any kind of information, this kitten has some dangerous claws. Just my experience."

"Understood."

His answer was just transmitted and the line went dead. For a whole minute, Arthur stared at the communication device in his paw and thought about all the new information, he just got, but saw that Camila was returning. He looked determined at Jiro and said, "No word, what happened here in the last minutes to Camila. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Arthur, but shouldn't we…," Jiro began but was loudly interrupted by Arthur, "NO! You will not tell her! This is a command, and you will follow it. Understood?"

Jiro didn't move, he just stared at his feet and waited.

"Do you understand, Jiro?"

"...Yes, Sir," Jiro replied reluctant and Arthur finished the conversation with a piece of advice from his side, "Good. Back to normal. Just pretend as if everything is okay, sometimes that's the best we can do."

"Hai."

And so, Arthur did his best to respond to the smiling Camila with an equally happy smile, but he had no idea if he succeeded or not. Right now, other things filled his mind than to pretend to be happy.

'I knew this morning, that I would break my vow to her sooner or later but that it would be the same day...You're a goddamn failure, Arthur Lynch.'

"Everything alright in Catacas," Arthur asked and received the answer immediately from Camelia in the shape of a bright smile, "Perfecto! Mi gatita will sleep like an angel tonight."

"Did I missed anything," Camila asked after none of the two said anything to her.

"Otto informed me that Bennett expanded his stay here in Izumo for two more days and that the Gernach brothers will take a hotel opposite to his and start the observation, " Arthur replied and waited for her reaction, but for then she seemed to take it all just in and nodded to Arthur's information.

"In other words, until now everything is going according to what we already thought, Verdad(Korrekt)?"

"More or less, yes," Arthur replied.

"Good, now there we have nothing else to do than to wait...Jiro and I made a little list with places we can visit here in Izumo. Interested?"

* * *

They began their trip in an old wooden temple in the north which was built mainly for one of the three goddesses. Her name was long forgotten, but she came, according to the legend, from the east and maybe even from this town. No one knew for sure, not even her species was known to mammals nowadays.

Jiro had a hard time to translate every sign or piece of information Camila stumbled upon. No matter what she saw, she tried to absorb as much information about this part of the world as possible. Whereas Arthur already knew that he would just remember bits and pieces of this trip, but that was because he was always on high alert and searching for the shape or shadow of a lion in the dense crowd of mammals, sometimes behind them and sometimes watching them from far away. But no matter how often he checked his surroundings, there was no shadow. There was just his imagination that drifted slowly into a light paranoia and some mammals which bumped into him, but which was no wonder in the dense crowd.

After the temple, the three of them went on to Ibuya, one of the major districts of Izumo. Arthur even contacted Otto and made sure that Bennett was still in his Hotel room. He was and that helped Arthur at least a little bit to calm his nerves.

Camila was obviously overwhelmed by the massive amount of things, gadgets and different food that you could buy here. Especially new electronic devices that Arthur had never seen before could be purchased all over the district in various stores. But no matter how interested Camila was in any of the things, she never bought anything, not even when they stumbled upon a clothing store for female mammals, in which she looked at a bunch of bright yellow items.

Arthur felt how she tried to hold herself back to not buy any of these things. He knew that even as an agent, the money you earned in South Mammelia could not be compared to this part of the world, North Mammelia or Midland, where everything was way more expensive. He was sure that Camila was too proud to accept anything from him, but Arthur wanted to share what he had with her, even if he had to use some tricks. For lunch, he invited Jiro and Camila to be his guest, and it happened just what he thought – she was against it. But persuasion and the fact that Jiro also accepted the invitation led to the circumstances that Camila gave in.

Together they spend two great hours at the restaurant, in which they have not just tested the local cuisine but also the dessert in which Camila had a particular interest. Interested and even slightly amused about her dedication for the sweet dishes, Arthur watched the feline who sat in front of him eating one of the desserts after another. In the end, Camila seemed quite pleased with the sweets that this part of the world provided her and thanked especially Arthur for the kind invitation.

But even after shopping, some local culture and an extensive restaurant visit, there was no news about Bennett or Arthur's contact to the local underworld. It was 7 PM when they stood in front of Jiro's home and thought of a way they could pass the time.

"What now, " Arthur asked from the passenger seat of the car and added slightly joking, "It's a little bit soon to go to bed. Don't you think?"

Jiro nodded approving, but Camila gave Arthur just a secret smile, that he didn't know how to interpret. In the end, it was Jiro, who searched for something in the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small piece of paper, "We still have the coupon for a visit in the hot springs. This one is just some minutes of walking away from here, and it's Friday so most of the mammals in this town will be in the temple for the weekly blessing."

"Do male and female mammals share the same bathing area," Arthur asked grinning.

"W-what? N-no...they are separated through a massive wall. Why?"

Amused, Arthur saw that Camila was grinning behind him the outside mirror of the car, "Oh, nevermind. Just a question. So, what's so special about your bathhouses here in Izumo?"

"Oh yes, the specialty! We will visit an onsen bathhouse! The water they use is warmed through its volcanic origin and is also known for its curative effects. It's said that female mammals who visit the bath are feeling and looking afterward at least ten years younger!"

"Then we should definitely go. It's been a while since I felt like a twenty-five-year-old cat," Camila said and got out of the car. Arthur, who sat in front of her, followed immediately and replied, "I think you made a mistake and meant an eighteen-year-old cat, right?"

"Mr. Lynch? I thought you have problems with giving compliments," Camila said, while she leaned smiling on the roof of the car and looked at Arthur, who did the same, "It depends."

"Oh, on what?"

"On the mammal...and if she gives me a good possibility to respond."

"Is that so? Well, I will keep this in mind," Camila replied smiling and turned to Jiro who stood at the door of his property and waited for the two. Arthur took a last look at Jiro's old wooden house and thought that it wasn't a bad thing to live here and followed the two his gaze on Camila's back, 'Well, if you have the right companion.'

The bathhouse turned out to be of the traditional style of the local area. A large wooden house with dark grey roof tiles on top. The place was run by an old badger lady in a light blue kimono, who seemed to be half blind but still capable to demand some respect. When Arthur stepped into the entrance hall without bowing before her and wishing her a good day, he got the backside of a fan on his snout for his disrespecting behavior. Camila and Jiro tried their best to hide their grin and bowed even deeper in front of the old lady.

After a short apology to her, Arthur was allowed to enter the building but the badger reminded him that she would keep an eye on this unfriendly guy. She finally changed her attitude towards him a bit after he paid for all three and giving her a tip for his insolence. Grinning, the old badger wished them a good time and sat back behind a small table in the entrance area, where she drunk tea and waited for more customers.

They parted in front of the changing rooms. Arthur checked the last time the situation of the second team, but Otto made clear that Bennett hadn't move and that he was still in the hotel. Right then, the old lion visited the restaurant. They somehow even managed to access the hotel security cameras, which made the observation even easier for them.

"Whatever he's up to, it will not happen tonight. Have you already received a message from your contact?"

"No...but I will inform you as soon as I know something."

"Good. We're ready if something happens."

Arthur ended the call and undressed. He felt strangely uneasy with the current development, there was still nothing to do and so he just followed Jiro into the open. The young fox had taken off his glasses and walked into the bath part of the onsen only with a towel around his hips.

A slight smell of sulfur was the first thing that came to Arthur's mind when he stepped out of the building and beside Jiro. The whole area around the steaming bath was made out of dark basalt rocks, a stone that saved the warmth of the hot water over a long time and worked as a natural heating system for the floor. But the best thing of all was that they had the whole place just for themselves. There was no other male mammal to be seen.

"I hope the water is just as good as it seems," Arthur said and looked at the steaming, yellowish liquid. He heard stories about this hot springs and their effects on the body of a mammal but also on how relaxing it was to stay for a while in one.

"It's even better," Jiro replied.

Both mammals laid their towels on a nearby wooden bench and walked into the warm water. And Jiro was right, the warmth that surrounded Arthur was incomparable to anything he tried until now to relax. For the first time and just for some seconds, he forgot the things he was here for, Kawasemi, Bennett and all the other problems that generally flooded his mind were gone.

To their left was a large fence made from bamboo, which separated the male side of the bathhouse from the female side. For a moment, Arthur asked himself if Camila was alone over there. His question should be soon answered when he tried to peek through a small gap in the bamboo fence, and all he saw was a brown eye that peeked back at him. Startled he took a step back in the water.

"Arthur! I never thought you are a little voyeur," Camila asked through the fence and smiled. Caught, he felt at first ashamed about himself but got the feeling that it was more mocking than anything else, "Well...you got me. How is the water on the other side?"

"Perfecto! Jiro, this was a fantastic idea," Camila said. She spread her arms over the black stone and laid her head back, facing away from the fence. Jiro and Arthur followed her example turned their gazes away from the fence and towards the setting sun.

"Any news?"

"No, Bennett is having dinner right now. The two even hacked the CCTV of Bennett's hotel to keep a closer eye on him," Arthur said and recognized that he felt slightly dozy from the warm water. Camila laughed about his last words and replied, "Well, you can say what you want about the two, but when they do a job, they do it right."

"Seems so."

The three were almost for an hour in the warm water, until Arthur and Jiro heard that Camila began to swim, "That's it for me. I will take a shower and met you two in the entrance area. Okay?"

"Alright...and? Do you feel ten years younger?"

"Mmh...more like fifteen but maybe you can judge later by yourself," Camila replied and left the bath slowly. The sound of a slowly swimming mammal who enjoyed the heat of the bath was undeniable. When Arthur looked over to Jiro, he saw that the young fox was nervously playing with his paws and tried to avoid the wolf's gaze.

"Okay, what's wrong Jiro? I can see that you want to say something or am I wrong."

"Ehm...well...you and Camila...you two. Are you together?"

Shocked about these words, Arthur turned with wide eyes to his left and tried to play the innocent, "What? How do you come to this conclusion…"

"I-I saw how you two kissed in the Arcade, while I got the telephone card for you...Not that you think I have anything against you two...it is just...this is an old town with an old mindset and even older rules. And mammals could be upset...about you...and her."

"Oh…," Arthur didn't know what to say at first and scratched embarrassed at his neck, but thought it would be best to acknowledge the courage Jiro had to talk with him about this, "Well...Thanks for the open words, Jiro. Ehm...If you saw this, then it makes no sense in hiding it. We...we don't really know what we are. But what I can say is that we like each other and whatever there is between us...it feels just damn good and I want to spend every waking moment with her...but I also know that this is not the best time to start a relationship. There's still the thing with Paul in my mind, and I bet even more in Camila's."

"I...I understand. All I want to say is that you should be careful. This town can be very...stubborn, and the laws that rule over this town are old, and so is the mindscape of a lot of mammals here. What I want to say is...please be careful."

"Don't worry, when the time comes I'll protect her…," Arthur was shocked when he saw the expression of anger in Jiro's face and especially his emerald green eyes, "No! You...you don't understand you can't always protect everyone!"

"Wowowo, okay. Calm down, Jiro."

"I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't…, " Jiro began and turned away, but Arthur laid his paw on the fox's shoulder. Jiro turned back.

"Hey, what's wrong buddy? Listen, if you want to tell me something. I'm all ears."

Arthur saw that the young fox was fighting with himself and if he should talk to Arthur. In the end, he did. Jiro leaned against the basalt stone and spoke, "I haven't always lived in this house. My parents and siblings lived once in a building with two other families, but we were more like one big family. Everyone was helping each other, but our mothers were clearly the leader of the whole pack. Anyhow, there was this one girl...I liked her very much, and we spent every day together. We were giving each other nicknames that only we used. I had read her every night passages from a book before she went to bed and she was always there when I felt down."

"That sounds...very nice," Arthur replied, but he could feel that this wasn't the whole story.

"One night, a fire broke out in our building complex. I tried everything to reach her, but my mother found me and brought me out of the house. She demanded of me that I had to think of my own family first. But how could I? She was part of my family. But...I...I couldn't save her because I had to obey my mother...," Jiro said and made a little break before he continued, "Mother and I, have never spoken a word again and probably never will."

"Is that the reason why you became a police officer? To help others," Arthur asked and saw how the young fox nodded.

"I'll do my best to keep her and myself out of danger, okay? But we're still agents we have to do our job, and that is to take care of Kawasemi and Bennett."

"Don't worry, I understand that, Arthur," Jiro replied and cleaned his nose with the back of his paw.

"Okay."

It was slowly getting dark, when Arthur felt that it was finally time to leave, "I think we should go, or Camila will be mad at us. I guess that's something nobody of us wants, right buddy."

"Yeah," Jiro replied and chuckled.

* * *

Dark clouds wandered slowly from the ocean in the east over ot the town. Every now and then lighting broke through the darkness and enlightened the land around the place of the impact. Not long and the rain would follow. Jiro explained in the living room and after another cup of the Rum that there existed at least fifty words for rain. Arthur believed it, and now he stood just in his boxers in front of the window of Jiro's office and waited for Camila, while he watched how a thunderstorm was coming over the whole city.

He still thought about the story that Jiro had told him earlier when two warm paws wrapped from behind him around his upper body. Camila laid her head on Arthur's shoulder and watched with him how the rain began to drum against the window.

"I like rain," She said.

"Really? Why?"

"Everything is clean when the rain is gone...and the smell of course."

Arthur laughed a little bit and felt how Camila nuzzled her snout into his neck. He had to discover that Camila wasn't the only one who liked this. With his paw, he directed her muzzle to his own. And where at first just small kisses where exchanged, raised the intensity of the two until Arthur's and Camila's tongue embraced each other without any remaining restraint.

What followed was pure love that was shared between two lonely mammals, who were alone for too long. But even after their passion for each other cooled down, could none of the two

For another five minutes, both predators staid intertwined and panting for another while in a position, where no one wanted to move. Just Camila had by now started to lick over the fur in Arthur's neck. Giggling, she asked, "I'm sorry, it's something I do after such rare occasions...I hope you have nothing against it?"

"Oh, no it feels good...please go on," Arthur said smiling, and with every lick she made, a small giggle escaped her muzzle, "I feel almost like a young feline again, who did it for the first time but with the difference that it was a thousand times better."

Exhausted from the day and his intimate time with Camila, Arthur laid back down on his mattress, and the black panther followed him immediately. Even now, she didn't want to be separated from him, not even for some seconds, "Well, that was fantastic."

"I agree," Arthur replied and began to search in his suit jacket, that laid beside his futon. Interested by his doing, Camila opened her eyes and watched what he was doing. When pulled out a cigarette flashed a grin over her face, "That is such a cliche, Arthur."

"I know, but it's also an obsession," Arthur said and inhaled the grey smoke. Without a second thought she took the cigarette from his lips and passed it over to Camila, "I guess we share?"

The smile on her face told him everything he needed to know. She took the cigarette from him and inhaled herself. For a while, the two laid just on their futons, which Camila had moved directly beside one another, and passed the cigarette between them until Arthur took the last puff from it.

His left paw which was still under Camila's body pulled the naked feline back to him. Giggling, she laid now face to face with him and even when sleep was almost there, one question was still on his mind that became louder and louder with every minute.

"Hey...I know this could ruin the atmosphere but can I ask you a question?"

"Mi amor, you can ask me anything," Camila whispered back to him, while she laid her head on his chest.

"Last night, you said something to me, that I didn't understand."

"Oh...well, I was drunk, so maybe it was just nonsense."

"No, I don't think so. You said, 'Where were you six years ago?' but I had no more time to ask because you were fast asleep not just three seconds later."

"Oh," Camila replied and snuggled herself even deeper in Arthur's fur, "That was a difficult time for me, and I guessed I wished myself someone like you at my side, but there was no one. Anyhow, six years ago my Mama died. It was cancer, and we couldn't do anything but wait, pray and watch how she became weaker and weaker with every day. And when finally the day came, I was the only one there. My brother and father were stuck in traffic, unable to make it in time," Camila said and was getting quieter and quieter. Arthur already hated himself for asking this question.

"You don't have to…," Arthur began, but Camila ended the sentence, "No, but I want to. You see, after she was gone, I was devastated and went into town to drink. I just wanted to forget what happened, but you know that I'm not good with alcohol...I drunk...and met someone. A black Panther like me and everything I can remember is just seconds from that night, that's all. I awoke the next day naked in a cheap hotel room. He left no information about him. No number, no name – nothing. I knew I had made a terrible mistake, but even I couldn't find him. Even today I don't know who he was."

Camila took a deep breath for the last part of her story and spoke, "Six weeks later during an ICOU mission in Midland, I got all the symptoms. Mood swings, morning sickness...all that jazz. Paul knew immediately what was going but we finished the mission, and he said he knew what has to be done. I was screaming at him and threw the pregnancy test at first into the trash but used it as soon as Paul left my room. My head was empty, and I just cried when I read the result. But...It was as if Paul knew what would happen with me. He waited outside the door, to come back and comforted me when his help was needed. At first, I didn't know what to do. I never wanted to be a mother...I dedicated my life to fight crime in my hometown, to make the world a better place but not to raise children. Paul talked to me, he was the first one who knew about it, and I couldn't help myself but ask him to become the godfather of my daughter. When she was finally there and laid for the first time in my arms, I had to think back to the day my mother died, and I knew exactly which name I would give her."

"You named her after your mother, right?"

"Si. Valeria Sanchez, right after my mother. I don't know...maybe it is strange, but it almost felt like fate that one life ended and in a certain way another one began on that day."

What followed was just silence, and for a while, Arthur thought that Camila had fallen asleep. He almost wanted to draw the blanket over them, when she raised her voice again.

"Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"Would you come with me to Catacas? I want you to meet Valeria...And, I know this is probably too early and just a stupid idea...but...but…"

"It would be my pleasure… and besides I have so many unused holidays...why not?"

Overwhelmed by this answer, Camila swung around and sat on Arthur's stomach, took his head into her paws and gave him a passionate kiss. After their lips parted, Arthur could see how happy she looked.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," She whispered over and over to him, but just when she wanted to place another kiss on the grinning Arthur, the phone rang in the dark of Jiro's little office. Both exchanged just a glance and a node to clear the situation. Camila swung off from Arthur and towards her gun, that laid on the chair beside their futon. Arthur, however, moved towards the phone and picked it up.

"Yes?"

"Good evening, Mr. Lynch," A female voice spoke on the other side of the phone. She sounded jolly and in the best mood to have a phone call almost at midnight, "I hope, I didn't interrupt your little love play with Ms. Sanchez? But to me, it sounded as if your two are done...at least for now."

Instinctively, Arthur cupped the telephone to mute it and turned to Camila, "Search in our cloth from today for any strange objects. I think we've been bugged."

Camila nodded and began directly to search for any suspicious objects in her and his clothing.

"Who speaks there?"

A chuckle sounded out of the telephone, "Mr. Lynch, I think you know exactly who I am."

Camila stood, not even a minute later, besides Arthur and opened her paw. In it laid two silver microphones. As big as coins and just a little bit thicker. Arthur remembered immediately the mammals, who run into him in the near of the temple and he had an idea when he was bugged. He held the handset between Camila and himself so that both could listen to the conversation.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I still have no idea how to call you."

Another chuckle came from the phone before the female mammal answered, "You two, lovebirds, can call me Void."


	36. Queen of the Red Light District

**What happened before:**

The hunt continues and developed from a drift hunt into big-game hunting. Our group of agents, now smaller and divided into two teams, with the Gernach brothers on the one side and Arthur, Camila and Jiro on the other are still after Kawasemi and now also the head of the ICOU - Simon Bennett.

The two deer brothers from Bärlin have already taken Simon Bennett, the old and experienced lion, under surveillance. Meanwhile, Arthur made a call to his best friend and ZBI partner. With the help of an old promise, he tried to find a connection to the underworld of Izumo. To be as unsuspicious as possible, Arthur spent with Camila and Jiro a normal day as tourists in Izumo. Just when Arthur had given up for the day and laid already with Camila in his arms to rest, both received a call from a female, that calls herself Void.

* * *

 **Arthur**

* * *

 _There are mammals. There are stories. The mammals think they shape the stories, but the reverse is often closer to the truth. - Alan Moore_

The clock on Jiro's wrist showed the time 9:45 AM, when he, Arthur and Camila stood in the Southern District of Izumo in front of his old wooden house and waited for a ride towards an unknown destiny. The storm from last night had cleaned the streets of dirt and mud, and the sun had already begun to heat up the city. When Arthur looked at his two companions, their reactions couldn't be more different. Jiro had no idea what was going on and where they would go and to be honest even Arthur didn't know everything, but he learned how to keep calm. What he knew was that someone would pick them up and hopefully bring them to the leader of the local God Paw somewhere in Izumo. Arthur hoped that they could give them new pieces of information that would finally lead to Kawasemi or Bennett. Camila on the other paw was excited about this new development, but her enthusiasm frightened the grey wolf a little bit.

"I still can't believe it! You have a connection to the God Paw. Do you know how long I worked to find a way to them? Four years and I still have nothing," Camila said with an excited tone in her voice and smiled like a little girl who was told that they would visit some kind of theme park today. Arthur knew that the dangerous part would start now and that as soon as they sat in the limousine, no one could help them.

"That I have this connection is more luck than anything else," Arthur explained and took out his package of cigarette. There were just three more cigarettes left. A fact that annoyed him at first but as soon as he remembered when and with whom he smoked the last one his whole face lightened up to a smile. Just for a moment, Arthur's gaze wandered over to Camila. She recognized, of course, his smile and what he held in his paw, it didn't take long before she replied with an equally understanding smile. Without a doubt, he knew that they both thought of the last night and of their time together.

After the God Paw had contacted them, they were too psyched to go back to sleep. They informed the Gernach brothers and got the newest status of Bennetts whereabouts, but everything was unchanged, the lion was still in his hotel room.

Afterward, they laid long awake and talked, while they snuggled up under the same blanket. It didn't take long, and their closeness led to tender touches, which led to kisses and to an hour of passionate sex, but this time without any uninvited listeners. Each of the two felt that their new found partner was long without another mammal and hungry for intimacy with a loved one. In the end, they laid entangled, exhausted but more than happy in the arms of each other. Sleep came fast to both of them and with them pleasant dreams.

In the end, it was a slightly disturbed fox who had to wake them. Why? Because they couldn't hear their alarm clock, which was covered by a pillow from their activities last night. What followed was a breakfast that was even more awkward than the previous. The only one with a smile on her muzzle was Camila, who had as a mammal from South Mammelia a completely different attitude towards sex, and saw it just as something natural.

It was 9:50 AM and the three mammals still waited for their cab, which should be there at 10 AM and Arthur knew it would be there and no second later.

"I don't want to annoy you with any stupid question, Arthur, but...who is the God Paw?"

For a second, Arthur was confused that Jiro didn't know who that was, at least until he remembered that the fox was just a young police officer and no real member of the ICOU or a specially trained agent of any federal agency.

'Just a young and normal fox who wants to make his way in life, nothing more,' Arthur thought.

"The knowledge we have about the God Paw is minimal, but I 'll tell you what we know. First of all, the God Paw is an organization that provides specific services. Some of them legal and some of them not.

The crimes they commit are never investigated, and if someone tries to find something out about them, then you can be sure that there will be no results. To ensure this, they have a lot of connections and make use of them whenever they can. Second, they consist always of four leading mammals and no matter where you are, they always have the same codenames. They call themselves Ubik, Slan, Conrad, and Void. The last name seems always to be one of the leaders of the local branch…," Arthur explained, but Jiro turned with wide eyes to the grey wolf who stood to his right and asked terrified, "Local branch? No matter where I am? What...what do you mean with, Arthur?"

Arthur sighed before he began to speak, "I mean...that they are everywhere, and that is fact number three. As much as we know, The God Paw operates in every city that has at least one million inhabitants, and that's all over the world. Every time the same names and every time the same structure. I don't know of any exception. With this knowledge emerge several questions. Who sends them to the cities? Who commands them? Is there a larger organization behind them? Since when does this organization exist? So many questions and we simply don't know anything about them. Not the ZBI, not the ICOU or any other federal agency...at least as much as I know."

A minute passed in which no one dared to speak, but no matter how much Camila tried to hide her excitement, she just couldn't stop her enthusiasm to take over.

"Okay, Arthur. But how did you managed to get the God Paw owing you a favor?"

Arthur sighed and checked the street left and right, there was still no car in sight. He knew he had time and why should he make a secret where none existed, especially for her.

"At the time, shortly before I began my ZBI training, John and I were still Officers at the ZPD, and we were called to a scene were multiple mammals...well the best word to describe it would be to besiege a car and it's passengers. We could arrest two mammals who tried to break into the vehicle. Two others could escape...and from here on the story started to get a little bit strange. The car, which was at first sight just a black sedan, with multiple scratches and cracks on it turned out to be armored. No matter how long those thugs would have beaten the crap out of the car, they would've been safe. Anyhow, the doors open and two mammals get out. On the left side a shaking antelope, who had the worst day of his life. He wore a black driving uniform and to the right stood a very young looking Red Panda, he wasn't older than eighteen or nineteen, if I had to guess. I didn't know why, but that guy looked interesting for me. He smiled the whole time as if all that happened around him was just one big fun to him. You have to know that the scene we were called to and where their car stood was a construction site, one wherein the near future a bar and club should be built. And surprise, surprise. It turned out that the owner of the construction site and future Club was the young Red Panda himself or that was what he told us, " Arthur explained and looked again up and down the streets, but nothing, "He told us that his code name was Void and that he was the first member of the God Paw in Zootopia. At that time, we had no idea what that meant. He told us that this was no problem, but one day we would understand, and when that time came, each of us could make one demand to him. This here is mine. John still has one left."

"You...you sacrificed the one chance to demand whatever you want for this case, "Camila asked carefully with a slightly open mouth. She couldn't believe that someone would do something like this, because she knew how much worth it had to demand whatever you wanted from God Paw. Some mammals would kill for such an opportunity and Arthur was sure that others already had.

"This all sounds...dangerous," Jiro said and looked down at his feet, to avoid eye contact with his two partners. Arthur understood immediately, "Jiro, you don't have to follow us. We took you already deeper into this than I wanted."

Arthur had just ended his sentence when a black limousine turned around the corner, and the two agents and the police officer turned to their left. Two of them were again wearing suits but Jiro looked back more like a student, but he had made a decision, "No! I came so far. I will close this case together with you two."

Arthur heard the determination in Jiro's voice and couldn't hide a little smile, "Very well, here we go."

The end of the limousine stopped right in front of the three, and the door opened. Two mammals stepped out of the car. The first one was a white wolf in a black suit, black tie, and a white shirt. For Arthur, there was no doubt that he was dangerous. In his left paw, he held a katana. It had a black sheath, metallic paw guard and a black handle. As soon as he had left the car, the only thing the white wolf could concentrate on was Arthur. It was almost as if he met an old enemy, in which he had to keep an eye on. The white canid followed a very grumpy looking male rabbit, who wore a similar suit. His fur was grey, he had black tips at the end of his ears and purple, almost amethyst colored eyes, but his gaze made everyone clear that he clearly disliked the whole situation. He carried a wooden chest in his paws, and it seemed as if he had no weapon with him.

In a bored and monotone voice, and an accent that was clearly not from this town or even this part of the world, the brown buck began to speak, "Okay, Void wants to see you three...and only the devil knows why she wants to meet with two federal agents and a cop. I would've just ignored the call from a minor town like Zootopia, but hey... who am I to disagree...Anyhow, you can call me Ubik and the big guy beside me is Conrad. Do anything that he doesn't like, and you will lose an ear, oppose him and die. Got it," Ubik asked and looked bored from Arthur, over Jiro and finally to Camila before he continued, "Good. Conrad, do you have something to add?"

"Yes," Conrad replied in a rough voice and drew his sword instantly. Bright steel reflected the sun and blended Arthur for a moment in which Conrad needed just two quick steps, and the blade was at his throat. Surprised by the fast attack, Arthur tried his best to press himself against the wall behind him, but there wasn't enough space to escape this grim situation. The white wolf was close, and Arthur could clearly see his light yellow eyes that focused just on him and nobody else, "Listen to me, Dog! If you watch her too closely, make any indecent comment in front of her or by the three goddesses – touch her! You'll be dead, understood?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, buddy," Arthur replied and tried to think about anyway this all could make sense, but there was none. At least not for him.

Conrad just finished his sentence, when everyone could clearly hear the sound of a gun that was unlocked. Camila looked angered at Conrad, while she held her gun against the right side of his head. Arthur could hear how the white member of his own species growled but also began to grin about Camila's reaction.

"Okay, Pendejo. Put your sword back where it belongs, or this will end pretty ugly for you. And don't try to do anything funny, because it doesn't matter how fast you are, my index finger will be faster," Camila said in a sharp tone that Arthur had never heard of her, but he felt that she was ready to pull the trigger at any second for his life.

A loud groan came from the grey buck, who called himself Ubik, before he spoke, "Goddamnit, Conrad, it's not even lunchtime, and you're already in a standoff. Put your damned sword back where it belongs and move on, we have things to do and places to go."

But everything Ubik received was a deep growl from the white wolf, which impressed the buck not in the slightest, "You know...Sis, will not like what you did here. They are level five guests."

For the first time, Arthur saw something like doubt in the yellow eyes of the white wolf, but all he responded with was a short, "Maybe."

"Just put your sword back, and I will not tell her about this little incident," Ubik said, and Conrad replied after a short internal fight, "Fine."

"And our guests? Are they also okay with this procedure?"

Gazes were exchanged, and Arthur nodded, while he said, "Yes, I'm fine with that. Camila? What is with you?"

"I will take down my gun as soon as his sword vanishes into his scabbard," Camila explained with her eyes still fixed on the white wolf, who slowly took down his sword and put it back into the black sheath. Grinning, he spoke some last words to Arthur before he stepped back and besides Ubik, "Good thing you have your kitten with you...but keep in mind what I told you. Misbehave, and you'll pay the price."

Arthur didn't respond, he just watched how the white wolf walked to the passenger door of the limousine and watched the three from a distance.

'Whatever he meant or wanted from me, this guy was serious about this and ready to kill me. Good thing, Camila was here. Those guys are not like the Void I know from Zootopia. They're older and ruthless to the bone. They must've seen and experienced things, I don't even want to know,' Arthur thought and saw how Camila's worried face appeared in front of him, together with two black paws, which searched for deep cuts and blood on his face or throat. When she ultimately couldn't find any wounds, she let go and asked in a worried voice, "Everything okay, Arthur?"

"Yes...thank you, Camila. I didn't think that we would be attacked at first sight. My mistake... this will not happen again," Arthur answered and flashed her a smile, to which she immediately replied in the same way.

'How could I live all those years without her,' Arthur thought when he watched her smile. He stayed with her like this, while Ubik continued to talk.

"You have to excuse him, he's always a little bit uneasy when a new wolf is around Void. You have to understand that she's like a sister to us. So that was nothing personal," Ubik said and saw how the feline and canine looked at each other. With an open chest, he stepped towards the two and said, "Okay, you two lovebirds. If you don't mind, your weapons please,"

"What? You don't really believe that I would give you my gun after one of your friends attacked us without reason?"

"What I believe doesn't matter, darling. There are two options right now for you and your canine lover over here...and of course the shocked fox beside me. Put your weapons in this chest and enter the limousine or keep them and have a nice day. The choice is yours," the grey buck said in the same way as if he explained the quarterly numbers on flip charts during a company meeting.

Arthur knew what Ubik wanted, but even more, he knew what was at stake. So he laid his gun into the chest. Jiro, who took a quick but very intimidating look at the white wolf, followed the example of Arthur and put his smaller revolver beside Arthur's standard ZBI pistol. Both looked to Camila, who seemed to struggle to hand over her trusty weapon.

"Camila…," Arthur said carefully and looked into her brown eyes, "I know, Arthur...Dammit, just take it rabbit and bring us to your boss."

Camila sighed and crossed her arms after she had put her gun to the other two. Arthur had an idea of how she felt, but he knew that any mistake would lead to no information and just more problems. With his paws on the back of Camila and Jiro, he directed both of them to the open door of the limousine. All three entered with Ubik joining them in the pleasantly large passenger compartment of the car after he had a short conversation with Conrad.

"What's with your white friend," Arthur asked and sat beside Camila, giving her and Jiro a quick look and check on their state. Camila was back in her element and didn't show any signs of fear, but Jiro looked nervous around the limousine not knowing what would happen next.

"Conrad?," Ubik asked and laid the locked chest beside him on a seat, while he crossed his legs. One of his paws rested on his knees the other one on the chest, "I've sent him to the driver to avoid another outbreak of solicitude."

A mysterious smirk remained on Ubik's muzzle, but none of the three wanted to ask further questions to this topic. One sword to the throat of a team member was already enough for the day.

A first glance around the limousine and Arthur was sure that a lot of money was spent on this car. Two rows of seats that faced each other were the center of the vehicle. To Arthur's left was a mini bar with six glasses and to his surprise expensive bottles of alcohol, he had waited in Zootopia but not here.

"You and Conrad...you're not from here, right?"

The smirk on Ubik's face shrunk to a smile, "No, Mr. Lynch, we're not from this town or even this continent but don't hope that I would tell you from where we are...you wouldn't believe it anyway."

"Well, you could try," Arthur replied quipping and gave even Ubik a good chuckle, "Good, Mr. Lynch, very good. Maybe this will be a better morning than I thought."

"Where are we driving?"

"Right into the heart of the God's Paw here in Izumo – the red light district," Ubik answered without any further ado, and Arthur recognized how calm the buck was. The ancient times, where predator hunted prey, were long over but he had never witnessed a bunny which sat so calm together with three predators in one closed room. Determined continued Ubik, "The place we're heading to is also the reason why you're not allowed to carry any weapons with you. The red light district is a peaceful area with exotic bathhouses, gambling places and of course many opportunities to satisfy your worldly desires. No one is allowed to carry any kind of gun with you, just our guards are the exception."

"Not even the police," Camila asked interested.

"No, not even them. All the police of Izumo can do is to control the brothels and gambling halls from time to time, but I can assure you...They have never found any problems with any of our places. But enough from me, I think Void will explain everything else. And please, feel free to take a drink," Ubik smiled satisfied with himself and leaned back into the seat.

"I have one last question," Arthur said and pulled the two small microphones out of his suit pocket that somebody from the God Paw had hidden yesterday in his and Camila's clothes, "Where did you get something like this? Those microphones...I have never seen anything comparable in my entire career. Something like this shouldn't even be able to exist right now because of its complexity and compactness, but yet it does. But how?"

The smile on Ubik's face was just fake by now, and both agents knew that he wouldn't give them a proper answer, "Let's just say that we have our sources. And trust me, Mr. Lynch, when I say this, it's better when you just forget about those things."

Arthur knew that the communication device, he and the Gernach brothers had received from Commissioner Sanada were highly advanced technology and maybe some years ahead of today's market but even this was nothing compared with these small bugging devices. They are just slightly bigger than coins, and Arthur couldn't understand how something like this could be possible. For now, he pushed the thought into the back of his mind and watched how the tall buildings, shops, and restaurants were passing by the window. He felt how Camila laid her left paw on his right thigh. Arthur knew it didn't matter how tough or experienced you were as an agent, those moments where you didn't know what would happen or how the day would end, made you wish for someone at your side and it was funny that precisely in this case somebody was here who watched your back even more than usual. A quick and unnoticed squeeze of her paw, that was what Arthur allowed himself before he concentrated back on the streets outside.

The drive from here on was quiet. They passed the inner city and headed directly towards the east. In the far distance and before the ocean began, massive cranes rose above the line of buildings and marked the docks of Izumo with its large cargo ships which transported goods all over the world.

After twenty minutes of their journey, it abruptly ended in front of a massive red wooden gateway like the one in the police headquarter, which led to the office of Commissioner Yukimura Sanada, but in this case, the gate led to the red light district. Ubik opened the door of the car and walked directly towards the entrance. Some meters behind them, Arthur noticed the white wolf who was following them like a shadow.

In the middle of the door, Ubik turned around with full spread arms and said, grinning, "Welcome to Kabukicho, red light district of Izumo and oldest part of this city. As you can see, even cars are forbidden in this part of the town, which is also the reason why we have to walk the rest of the way."

"I...I was never in such a place...I...I mean in private," Jiro said, who walked between Camila and Arthur. With a laugh in his voice, Arthur replied, "Don't worry, I keep an eye out for you."

There was not one building made of stone, concrete or glass in this district. Everything here was built in the old tradition of the eastern region of this continent. No more than three floors, everything made out of wood and the floor of the houses would surely be covered with the Tatami mats, which Arthur already knew from Jiro's home. The streets were smaller and not even made for cars, trams or even trains, but they were clean. Everything here felt like a trip back in time. Arthur saw instantly the reason why this part of town deserved the name red light district. On every house, on every shop, gambling hall, brothel or just to illuminate the path hung red paper lanterns and that everywhere and without exception. Arthur could already imagine the soft red light in which the district would be drenched when at night the lamps would be lit.

The number of female mammals from a young age up to the point where they almost couldn't walk was terrifying, but what was even worse was the vast variety of species. Vixen in colors ranging from red to black over different types of white or creme, female wolves from colorful mixtures to some who had the same appearance as the Sanada family. But those weren't all, female Red Pandas, deers, bunnies, serows, hares and much more. All of them were clothed in colorful Kimonos, fitting to their shape and fur color, living their everyday lives in the streets of the red light district.

But what Arthur confused the most wasn't the diversity of mammals around him or the peaceful atmosphere which reigned in every street through which they walked, it was the fact that most of the females were smiling. And most of the time it felt genuine. It dazzled him to the degree that he even couldn't think straight.

Back in Zootopia Arthur had seen the female mammals which were freed from a life of pain and suffering, when the ZPD had taken down illegal brothels. The females they saved were maybe free but mentally and physically broken. And this was no comparison to Izumo. A lot of the females Arthur saw seemed almost happy about their situation, and what was also strange, no one feared the guards and those ones were in such a situation the ones, who took from the females whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted and without asking, but here it wasn't the case. Here, the guards patrolled in a suit and with a sword at paw but mostly didn't even look at the females around them.

'What's going on here? For the first time, I'm not sure if something is right or wrong...but I know something here is different,' Arthur thought. His gaze went for a moment over to Camila, and could already imagine how she felt. The feline was raging internally, her paws were clenched to fists, and her eyes wandered from mammal to mammal. She could just see the terrible fate those mammals had and how injust everything was.

All three observed their surroundings, while roughly walking two meters behind Ubik. Whenever the grey buck met females he knew, he greeted them and sometimes had even a little conversation as if he met some old friends. Arthur, of course, didn't understand a word, but it seemed that the conversation was more small talk than anything else. Whenever the discussion ended, the females bowed thankfully and wished the whole group a beautiful day or that was what Arthur assumed they did.

After a mile of walking, they reached finally their aim, the tallest building in the whole district a massive and colorful designed Pagoda, which was directly in front of them and was surrounded by ornamental ponds. Whoever lived here or had created this place knew how to represent the beauty of the eastern architecture. The main building could only be entered through one of four bridges which led over the ponds in which lived massive amounts of Koi's and which remembered Arthur of the entrance hall of the Police Headquarter.

As soon as they entered the inside of the palace which had at least eight floors, maybe even more, three vixens in Kimonos walked over to Ubik. They bowed and received some orders from him. Again Arthur's understanding of the language was an obvious problem, but he understood one word for sure, and that was Void. Ubik ended and the three vixens, one red, one white and one in a rare grey tone, that Arthur had never seen before, bowed and hurried into different directions. All of them wore a brown Kimono that had just a sign on the back, which Arthur recognized for the first time. It was a semicircle over a straight line, but both lines were separated by a full point. By then and calm as a shadow, Conrad had joined them again but was surprisingly quiet in comparison to his last outbreak in front of Jiro's house.

Curious about this symbol, Arthur leaned down to the fox and whispered to him, "Hey, Jiro?"

"Yes, Arthur?"

"The symbol on the back of the vixen...what does it mean?"

"Ehmm...I don't know. It's no symbol that is used in my language or has any meaning."

Disappointed, Arthur exhaled profoundly and focused his gaze back at the grey buck with his purple eyes. It was this moment that he recognized that he had never seen before such a unique eye color on a mammal, 'Purple? Never seen before. A dark blue, yeah, that was John's eye color and damned rare...but purple? Well, who knows, not that I would solve this puzzle by myself.'

"We'll go to the conference chamber of the God Paw. Void will join us soon," Ubik said and led them over stairs to the second floor and into a spacious room with four tables and of course, were all four of them designed to sit on the floor.

'They simply love tradition in this town, 'Arthur thought when he entered the conference room, which held a strong resemblance to the one of Commissioner Sanada. He, Camila and Jiro, sat at the table in the near the entrance. The table to their left was for Ubik and the one to their right for Conrad, who laid his two swords in front of him on the table. While they waited, entered two of the three vixens with tea the conference room and stood one cup for every mammal on the table. They placed two cups on the empty table and left the room through the same sliding door.

It didn't take long, and two voices could be heard through the thin wooden walls, walking towards a door behind the empty table. One was rough but still feminine, the mammal who belonged to the voice was clearly in charge of the conversation.

"Ban Tamashi from the district, and if we see him here ever again, then his beloved Tanaka family will lose the right to their gambling hall. Oh! And if he dares to re-challenge me in any kind of way, then I will come for his head and that personally!"

A delicate voice that sounded like silk felt on the body replied to the first, "Yes, your highness."

'Highness? I never heard someone address somebody else with this term...okay, John calls Marie sometimes his highness but that he always says in a mocking tone. But this here was different, the delicate voice meant what she had said.

"Good...How is Eto doing," The first voice became much warmer when she asked this question. Neither Ubik nor Conrad reacted to the talk on the floor and just for a second Arthur was tempted to ask them if he heard right.

"Better, your Highness. She cries less every day and seems to accept Chizue as her new mother."

"Good, " The voice stopped, and Arthur recognized that they stood now in front of the wooden sliding door, "Are they here? Yes!... Good, Open the door."

The doors opened, and two mammals entered the room. Both wore pure white Kimonos with golden sceneries embroidered on the expensive clothing. Just the Obi, the wide belt made of fabric was mainly made of gold, and only smaller parts of white could be seen in it. Arthur had a feeling that the gold that was used for these clothes were real and not just some special yawn.

The first mammal was a black vixen in her mid-twenties, with amber colored eyes which seemed almost to glow in contrast to her dark fur. With both of her paws, she held carefully a katana pressed to her body, that was obviously too big for her to use it. The sword carried like a newborn had a white sheath and handle, just the paw guard and some elements on the sheath, like the tip, were made out of gold. Her gaze was mostly on the floor, but from time to time, she peeked up to check on the mammals in the room.

But there was no mistake, who was the dominant presence in the room, as soon as her gaze had wandered for the first time from one mammal to the next. It was the female wolf with gold-like fur and steel grey eyes which seemed to pierce through every mammal she was looking at. On the right side of her muzzle, she had a traditional smoking pipe, from where small clouds of smoke emerged. She greeted the company of Agents and laid the pipe on the table. While the black vixen sat down in the traditional sitting position, her arms tight around the sword. However, the female wolf made herself comfortable and leaned with her back against the vixen, who didn't move an inch and who also didn't seem to bother about it.

"Ahh, the ICOU, our Knights in shining armor, the savior of the damned and as we know from last night they are also a bunch of enduring lovers. Welcome to my modest home. You can call me Void, and this here is my humble swordbearer and maiden, Slan. I guess you already get acquainted with Ubik and Conrad," Void said and ended with a sarcastic smirk. Arthur didn't react to the insult, but he could hear a slight growl from Camila. They both hated to be bugged, and even her open mind about sex couldn't stop Camila from hating the mammal who listened to their first time together. Arthur grabbed for Camila's paw under the table and gave it a short squeeze before he parted again. For Arthur became this small gesture almost like a little tradition between the two of them, to reassure that there was nothing to fear as long as they were together in this situation. The feline relaxed quickly from his touch, but Arthur knew that even his touch could help just temporarily to keep her temper down.

"We're here…," Arthur began but was harshly interrupted by Void, who laid her tobacco pipe down and took a sip from her tea, "Yes, Mr. Lynch. I know why you're here, the whole underworld of Izumo knows why you're here. You need a connection. A way to talk to the shadows. The pigeons have been chirping this from the rooftops the last two days. But the fascinating question is what you can give me for my services, Mr. Lynch? Maybe the one, who's behind all of these?"

"You want...Bennett," Arthur asked confused but got the immediate response, "Bennett? What in the name of the three goddesses should I do with a narcissistic ICOU traitor? No, I want a fox, and I guess you know which one I mean."

"Why do you want Kawasemi? After everything we know by now he's nothing but a henchman or partner in crime, " Arthur asked back and saw how a smile bloomed on Void's face, "Oh, because I always wanted to talk to a ghost."

"I...I don't understand, " Arthur said and looked to Camila and Jiro, who both just shrugged. Void waited before she answered. She folded her paws, closed her eyes and began slowly to speak, "Does anyone of you know anything about an organization with the name 'The Last Order'? Mr. Lynch or Ms. Sanchez? No? Mr. Nakamura, maybe?"

Arthur and his two companions shook their heads, but Void seemed to enjoy this kind of conversation to a degree he didn't like. She supported her head with her left paw and looked smiling from one guest to the next.

"Of course, you don't know anything about them. Barely anyone knows the God Paw and The Last Order is even more mysterious and harder to find. The fox you're searching for was once an agent of The Last Order. Trained all his life to infiltrate, disguise himself, take on different identities and of course to kill," Void said and took a sip from her tea, smiling at them like an innocent little child.

"What do you want to tell me with this information," Arthur asked. He could feel how he became slowly angry about her little game, in which he didn't want to be a part.

"What I want to tell you is that Kawasemi could be anyone. The postman, some fox on the street or maybe even your young police officer, who sits right beside you," Void said and began to laugh when she saw that Jiro, who just wanted to take a sip from his tea, swallowed severely and began to cough from the sudden accusation. Camila did her best to help him and patted his back until the coughing was gone.

"Better, "Camila asked worried and received a nod and a forced smile from the fox who was still in pain.

"Better, "Jiro croaked, his voice completely messed up from the coughing. Exhausted, he sat there at the table and didn't dare to take another one sip from the tea or to move at all. For once he began to clean his glasses, which became quite messy.

"Jiro? You're kidding, right," Arthur asked Void in a voice that displayed pure disbelieve for what she had just said.

"That was a joke. Even Kawasemi wouldn't be so bold to infiltrate the investigation right at the core, but I guess he's always close. The bomb was the best example for this," Void replied.

"What else can you tell me about him?"

"I can tell you, according to my information which should be the same The Last Order possess, that he should've died in the Zooviet Counter-Revolution, some years ago. To my information was the Last Order even behind the whole downfall of the complete Zooviet Union," the female wolf said with a smirk on her muzzle and waited patiently for Arthur's reaction.

"A country with two hundred million mammals, consisting of a hundred of cities, was destroyed by a single organization? That's ridiculous!"

"Maybe it is, and all I do is lying to you...but the fact remains that Kawasemi somehow survived and is now here, in this city. A ghost. Dead and forgotten...at least by most."

"That's what you meant with talking to a ghost," Arthur replied and tried to think about all the new facts he just got.

'Secret organizations? Agent? A Ghost? What the hell is going on here? As if the fight between Yakuza and police in this town wasn't bad enough. Now this story includes also secret organizations that no one knows and events in which multiple millions of mammals died,' Arthur thought and concentrated back at Void, who began to prepare her pipe. The tobacco she got from Slan, the black vixen, who held a small metal box in her paws which was filled with the brown herb.

"Now, Mr. Lynch. Let's get down to business. How can I help you...I mean exactly," Void asked and stuffed tobacco into the end of her metal pipe. As soon as she was finished with her task, Slan held a burning lighter up to her. Void tilted her body to the left to enlighten her pipe.

"We want that you arrange a meeting with the head of the Tsukiyama family, the ones who hired Kawasemi to eliminate the Yoshimura family. We need to find new information about the fox and maybe even Bennett. I...No, we think they could help us," Arthur exclaimed slightly nervous.

"Ohh, do you," Void asked smiling and exhaled a fine cloud of smoke, "But, what do I get to arrange this meeting?"

Dazzled, Arthur needed a moment to reply, "I...I thought that was part of the request Void owed to me?"

"Wrong, Mr. Lynch. The mammal who claims the name Void in Zootopia for himself kept his promise by calling me. My service whoever isn't for free...So, what can you offer? Money? Services? I guess none of this...but you already know what I want," Void said and observed Arthur with a stern face.

Arthur's mind was blank. Yes, he knew what she wanted but that was something that was out of the question, so what could he offer someone who ruled over a complete part of a town with so many underlings, guards, and connections? What could somebody who is in terms of criminal possibilities well equipped?

"Maybe...Connections to the ZPD and ZBI?"

"Useless...What should I do with those? If I need connections, I order the God Paw in Zootopia. What works in one direction, also works in the other one. Try again, please, Mr. Lynch," Void said and began to smile again.

"Money. We could try to acquire money through different…, " Arthur began but was interrupted by Void, "Ubik? Tell me, do we need money?"

"No, our books are full, and the money laundering department has more than enough work for the whole next year, Sis," Ubik said and folded his paws.

"Weapons. We could surely agree on..." Arthur desperately began anew but was again interrupted, "Conrad, how is the current situation of our weaponry?"

"Swords for the guards, as well as projectile weapons and armors are more than enough available. No need for more, dear sister," Conrad replied and grinned towards Arthur, who had no idea what he should offer a mob leader who could have everything.

'They both called her sister, and they're clearly not related...What in the name of the three goddesses is going on here,' Arthur asked himself and thought on, ' She wants him, she wants Kawasemi and that someone is catching him for her. She needs me as much as I need her.'

"We...we can't give you Kawasemi. We need to take him into custody...we need to make the right thing," Arthur explained but received nothing but scorning laughter from Void, who was more than amused about this answer. But after the laughter was gone, he could clearly hear the growl from Camila, who seemed to be ready to shout back.

"Oh, I forgot. You, the ICOU, are always doing the right thing. The good guys, who help other towns, which gives you also the right to judge every living mammal. Because you know who the good guys are and who the bad. For you, the world is perfectly structured in black and white, with no need to think a second time. You know nothing about the world, and if you knew what was really going on, you wouldn't be part of this organization of good guys," Void ended her rant about the ICOU and inhaled deeply from her pipe. Camila had finally enough from the accusation she received. Both of her paws slammed on the table and directed all eyes in the room to her, while she stared directly at Void.

"At least we are no pimps or mammal trafficker, who get rich from the sorrow and suffering of female mammals! At least we try to make this world a better place and don't just try to control it, but what should somebody like you know about the suffering of others? I saw children out there, living together with their mothers in circumstances which are not acceptable, but I guess that's also not relevant for someone like you," Camila shouted in pure anger.

'That's it we're done,' Arthur thought and laid a paw on her shoulder. The first thing he recognized was the incredible tension in her muscles, which was so high that she slightly trembled. The other thing, Arthur saw or better heard was the calm in the room. The smile, which was until now on Void's muzzle had vanished. Ubik and Conrad looked both on the table in front of them but remained calm. When no one replied, the time was ready for Void's voice, which was slowly rising, until she sounded like a predator, lurking in the dark, just to catch her prey, whenever the time was right.

Void took the sword out of the paws of the black vixen and carried it in her left, her fingers holding the scabbard tight.

"You have no idea what I've been through, but that's what I await from an Agent of the ICOU. Ignorance, a biased mind and no idea how this world works. Let me tell you a story about the red light district and who the female mammals are, which have to live here," Void explained and took one last sip from her tea before she went on. Her face was hard as stone and as it seemed where the memories she tried to recall no pleasant ones, "Even somebody like you, Ms. Sanchez, should know by now that this town is old, some would even say too old for its own good and so are its laws."

Camila said nothing, she just listened to the wolf in the shining white Kimono when Void stepped over her table and strolled towards the table one of Camila, Arthur, and Jiro. In front of them, she sat down in the ideal sitting position of the east. The Katana still in her left paw.

"One law, which this and other towns of the east have is in particular terrible...an old law, of course. It allows husbands and leader of families who have high debts and don't know what they should do...to sell their wife and children to the lord of the red light district or the Yakuza, who then work off the debt of the families. And yes, this is legal since three-hundred fifty years and no one wants to change something. Can you imagine what a female mammal or child is worth here in Izumo, Ms. Sanchez? With such a law?"

"Nothing," Camila answered short and Arthur felt how intimidating Void could be. From this close, he could finally estimate her age. She wasn't much older then he was maybe in her late thirties or early forties. But one thing was sure, she was trained, healthy and seemed as if she had this sword, not just for decorating purposes.

"Nothing...right. If you're born in the wrong family at the wrong time in this town, you're fucked... literally. Eighty-five percent of the females you saw in the streets are brought to us by their own families. Most of the rest have no family and just try to survive."

"I...I didn't know…," Camila began apologetically to explain herself but was harshly interrupted by Void, "Shut up when I try to explain something, do you get me?"

A short nod came from all three guests before Void continued to talk, "Twenty years ago, I came to this town as a new member of the God Paw. I was pregnant and ignorant, but life was good to me when I came here with my husband. When I first stepped into the red light district of Izumo, it felt like I stepped into the second circle of hell. Female mammals were raped in the corner and side streets as if they were no mammals at all. They were broken, violated, and no one cared for them...except for me."

Void inhaled deeply, her grey eyes directly looking into the ones of Camila.

"The God's Paw at this time in Izumo was a useless bunch of idiots, who failed at every part of their job. I should just become the new Slan of this town, but I couldn't. A lot of mammals were suffering at that time, in this district and so I did what I thought was the right thing to do. I killed the member of the local God Paw with this sword and replaced all positions with mammals I trust," Void said, and for the first time, she looked exhausted, "Was it just what I did? No, certainly not. Did I break the rules? Yes, mine, yours and I guess a lot more. Did I paid for my deeds," Camila asked and turned for a short moment her head away, but Arthur saw that she tried to hold tears back, "Yes! Yes, I paid with the highest price there was. But was it the right thing to do? Definitely. Don't get me wrong, if you want you can see in me the monster or the killer, I don't care. And even when those members of the God Paw had never done anything wrong in their lives, they've also done nothing for the mammals in the red light district. They stood by and watched and lived a good life with the suffering females in the streets and I changed it."

"If you could do all of this, why don't you changed the law?"

"Even for me, there are rules I must bow my head to. I'm just a member of the God Paw, no goddess. Besides, why don't you ask your drug lords in Catacas if they stop selling drugs, or weapons or mammals...But of course, you know that wouldn't work. You're no idiot. It's never easy to change things but sometimes it worth it," Void said to Camila as if by now two old friends would talk to each other.

"What did you do to help them," Camila asked, by now she sounded more impressed than angered about the female wolf.

"I banned guns and other weapons in this part of town and created my own army to protect those who don't get any protection. I gave them back a part of their safety and life, but what was even more important for them...I gave them back their dignity."

A minute of silence passed before Void turned again to all three members of Operation Foxcatcher and said, "Enough of that, take this story and do with it whatever you want. Learn from it, forget it...But now back to what I want, "Void made another break and Arthur began to realize, that he had no idea what he should offer her. All the things he mentioned before were meaningless for her.

"Let's stop this teasing of mine...I'll help you three and organize a meeting with the head of the Tsukiyama family. Hopefully as soon as possible. But in return, I want that you verify if Kawasemi is one of the former agents who allegedly died during the turmoil of the Zooviet Counterrevolution. Ask him if he was a member of the Last Order and then report to me," Void explained and waited for a reply from one of the three. It was Arthur who gave her finally an answer.

"If we find him and have the chance to talk to him, do you also want to know why he's doing all of this," Arthur asked and saw how a smile returned to Void's face. When he was looking at her while he waited for a response, Arthur had to admit that she was a beautiful female wolf with her bright and almost golden fur. For a short moment, Arthur even asked himself if she had any relations to the Sanada family, but he couldn't believe that there was any, 'No. They would never accept a crime lord in their family. I'm pretty sure of it.'

"No need for that. I know why Kawasemi is doing what he's doing, but if you talk to him, you could thank him for his help in the local ICOU branch."

"His help? You mean the three agents he killed?"

"The 'agents' or how you call them, were all members of different Yakuza families. They worked together to stay ahead of the game. So that they knew when the ICOU would take action against them. It was a good idea, but they couldn't know that a ghost from the past would come to end their lives."

"They were...Yakuza?"

Arthur turned to Camila, who thought about this new information. Suspecting and guessing, she answered, "They have never taken part in a mission, and I can't remember that I ever meet one of them so it could be possible. I don't say it's true and we have to check this but...it's in the realm of possibility."

"Believe me, Ms. Sanchez, it's true. When we, the God Paw, are sure about one thing, then about the information we share...Anyhow, this was a little free information I gave you. Ubik, would you please escort Ms. Sanchez and Mr. Nakamura to Ichiraku's restaurant? Their meals are on us... I want to have a little private talk with Mr. Lynch," Void said. Her eyes were completely fixed on Arthur. She didn't even look away when Camila raised her voice, "No! I'll stay with him...no matter what!"

"I'm sure that you're crazy in love with this wolf, but I can assure you that I'll not steal him from you. All I want is to talk...that's it," Void replied smiling.

"But!..., " Camila tried to interfere, but this time it was Arthur who turned to her. Almost like a reflex Arthur's paw searched hers and gave it a squeeze, "Camila, don't worry. I'll be fine. I have a quick talk with her and follow you and Jiro into that restaurant. Nobody gets hurt, okay."

Arthur tried to put on his best smile and convince her, but in the end, it didn't work out. Camila looked still worried at him, almost with wet eyes and when she raised her voice again, he knew what he had to do.

"Arthur, I…," Should be all, that she was able to say. Camila's eyes went wide when his mouth covered hers, and his right paw caressed her face carefully. For this short moment, they were alone in the room. Unfortunately, this passionate kiss ended after almost a minute with a dazzled and slightly embarrassed Camila, who realized what just happened. Forehead against the forehead and with closed eyes, they stayed for a moment like this.

"Don't worry. Just a quick talk and I'll follow you... You can't get rid of me that fast," Arthur said, and both chuckled for a moment about his joke. After a nod and a smile, Camila stood up and followed Ubik and Jiro, who waited already for her outside on the floor.

When the wooden doors closed escaped a deep, exhale from Void, and she began again to prepare her tobacco pipe. This time in a fast way, almost as if she needed the nicotine. Done with her task, Void sat on Arthur's table.

"Why do you have to make everything so much more complicated, Arthur?"

"What do you mean?"

"Fire, please," Void said, and Arthur needed a moment to understand what she wanted but held out the ignited lighter after some seconds. The female wolf leaned down to him and took a deep breath of smoke and nicotine.

Void crossed her legs, while she exhaled deeply. Her tail which had a white tip moved slowly from one side to the other, "For example, why do you continue the investigation under Sanada's command? Why couldn't you just stop and fly back to your little Zootopia?"

"You know that I couldn't. Kawasemi is still out there, and he killed Agent Duncan."

"An agent you knew for just some hours...but whom do I tell something like this, mmh? A wolf who fell in love with a fellow agent from another species in only two days. Anyhow...when you're still searching for Kawasemi, why are the Gernach brothers monitoring Bennett? And don't try to fool me," Void said and inhaled another time the grey smoke, while she looked at Arthur and waited for an explanation.

"We assume...that both are working together. Kawasemi and Bennett. That's why the Gernach brothers monitor him, while we try to follow Kawasemi's track into the underworld of Izumo. Our theory is that Bennett hired Kawasemi to steal the encrypted personal information of every Agent to sell them on the black market. How it seems he even wants to kill those agents who once tried to oppose him and wanted to force him to end his career in the ICOU. After he failed in a mission as a leader," Arthur explained and hoped to get a response from her, but Void just shook her head and stared at an old painting at the wall.

"Let me guess the mammals which once were against Bennett are Agent Duncan, the Gernach brothers, and Agent Sanchez. He ordered them to their own death...those poor fools," Void said while she turned her eyes towards Arthur. A slow nod was all she got back, and so she asked the last question she had on her mind, "Did you tell her about this, Mr. Lynch?"

There was no reaction from the grey wolf.

"Mr. Lynch! Did you tell her," Void shouted half-loud at him and just then came his response, "No, I didn't tell her, I...I simply couldn't do it."

The slap came too fast, and Arthur saw none of this coming. Slightly dazzled from the force she used, he fell back and could only support himself with his arms. He could feel the pain and heat coming from the left side of his face.

"Do you know why this world is such a messed up place, Arthur?"

Laying just supported by his elbow on his back, Arthur replied, "I have no idea."

"It's because good things not just happen. We have to work hard for them or even sacrifice something important to us to make them come true. And sometimes, this sacrifice is so big that you make the world a better place, but in the process, you destroy your own...," Void said and looked with a sad gaze at her sword, "...At least that's what the world taught me."

"So...What do you suggest?"

"Tell her, that's the least you can do and try your best to protect her. But if that doesn't work out in the end, don't forget one important thing..." Void said to the wolf who stood up and walked without looking back to the wooden door. His paw was already on the wooden frame, but Arthur stopped and waited for Void's words," And what would that be?"

"Not every mammal on this world is meant to be happy."

Arthur left the room without saying another word. He could just hear Void shouting.

"Stay at Ichiraku's. I'll send one of my mammals to inform you about the meeting."

It wasn't even afternoon, but Arthur was feeling already dead tired, and he wanted nothing more than to lay down with Camila and sleep. No snuggling or kissing, just her by his side and a whole week of sleep.


	37. Nightfall

**What happened before?**

The group of agents met finally the God Paw of Izumo and with them, a purple-eyed buck and a white wolf with serious aggression problems towards Arthur. But none of this could stop them from met the head of the mysterious mob organization, even so, the conversation between agents and mob members wasn't always peaceful. But in the end, Void, the queen of the red light district and leader of the God Paw of Izumo, promised her help if Arthur and his team would verify the identity of Kawasemi and his connection to a secret organization with the name 'the Last Order'. Not sure about this strange wish, Arthur promised to do exactly this. A deal was a deal.

 **37\. Nightfall**

" _The night is dark and full of terrors." - George R. R. Martin_

* * *

 **Arthur**

* * *

As it turned out, Ichiraku's was a small noodle restaurant at the border of the red light district. Three tables for four mammals and some chairs directly at the window to the kitchen, that was all the place had to offer and of course delicious noodle and soup dishes, which the three were eating with delight. They were almost alone, beside them was another group of female mammals in the restaurant. Those three were dressed in colorful Kimonos. If Arthur had to guess, he would say that those three are friends who liked to spend time together before their nightly work would begin. They left the place after half an hour in a very jolly mood.

The whole district looked peaceful and Arthur didn't want to imagine how it was before Void cleaned this place up. If the story she told was true and Arthur assumed it, because the female wolf didn't seem like a liar to him, then this must have been hell for a lot of mammals.

Satisfied with her soup, Camila shoved the bowl in the middle of the table and rubbed her not existing belly under her blouse. Arthur knew because she was as well-trained as an agent could ever be. A perfect balance of strength and endurance, not like him, who should sometimes cut the evening beer with John and Marie, and go to the gym of the ZBI building. But until now, he had no reason to do that. He was good enough for the mammals they had to catch and he knew his body was strong.

'Maybe, I should consider going more often to a gym, instead of doing just the bare minimum for my job…,' Arthur thought while he watched Camila and continued to eat his ramen with chicken, the same dish Camila had just finished. Jiro wanted just a plain Udon soup. He said he wasn't hungry for more.

Happily, Camila exhaled and gave a thumbs up to the cook behind the counter, who nodded and laughed as a reaction.

"Mmh...that was muy bien," Camila said and looked in the wide eyes of Arthur and Jiro. Both looked then down into their half-filled bowls and back to the smiling Camila.

"Well, someone seemed almost to starve," Arthur said and turned back to his soup, while Jiro took a large portion of noodles and began to chew.

Smiling, Camila folded her paws and laid her head on them. With a slightly tilted face, she looked at Arthur and replied, "What do you expect, it was a long day...and an even longer night."

Arthur smiled just about her joke but Jiro almost choked on his noodles. It took a while for his coughing to slowly transform into heavy breathing after Arthur began to pat his back.

"Disculpe, Jiro," Camila said with a heartwarming smile on her muzzle, while she watched how the fox shook his head and replied as if nothing had happened, "No...everything fine *cough*. I shouldn't have been so surprised about...something like that. Especially after this morning and...how I...woke you up."

Jiro, who had enough of his soup, pushed the half emptied bowl of Udon noodles into the middle of the table and looked ashamed to the wooden plate of the table. Arthur knew that Jiro would blush if he hadn't this bright red fur of his. Awkwardly, Arthur scratched his neck and began, "Jiro...you know we're sorry for what happened this morning. Right, Camila?"

Camila sighed loudly before she answered, "I will never understand you prudish mammals from the east and maybe I will also never understand you mammals from the north and why you have to apologize for something natural as this."

"What? I don't apologize... It's just…," Arthur said and realized too late what he just did. He bit his lower lip to keep calm but it was too late. Grinning, Camila tilted her head which was by then just supported by her left paw, "You wanted to do it again, mi amor."

"Sorry, " Arthur replied half loud as if he was scolded by his teacher for leaving the class too early.

"And again," Camila said and laughed. For once, Arthur kept his muzzle shut and smiled just back at her. He knew when he had lost an argument but he also knew that it would be a pleasure to lose to her again and that at any time.

The small wind chime that hung at the entrance jingled slightly to signal the arrival of a new customer. Until then, the three of them were alone in the small restaurant and by finished with their meal.

Arthur recognized immediately the grey buck with the purple eyes, who was just known by them as Ubik. With a smirk and some words that made the cook laugh, Ubik ordered something and took the chair beside Camila. The buck was smiling as always when he began to talk.

"Okay boys and girls, the party's gonna start soon," Ubik said and rubbed his paws in a playful manner. Arthur asked himself if the buck was more delighted about the soon starting mission or the soup he had ordered.

"What do you mean with soon?" Arthur asked the buck, who just got a bowl of ramen served from the cook. Both, Ubik and the cook, exchange some words in the local language. The cook, a grinning grey sika deer with just one remaining ear, left the four alone to their talk and went back to his kitchen.

"Ahhh, sorry for the interruption, but there's nothing better than a bowl of Ramen from Ichiraku's...but who am I telling this, right? You already had the chance to taste it... Anyhow, back to the topic...can you tell me what time it is, Mr. Lynch?"

Arthur looked at his wrist, which still showed the time of Zootopia and not the local time. A quick calculation before Arthur replied, "Almost 8 PM."

"Perfect! Void will be here in half an hour. She knows the meeting point and will vouch for you," Ubik replied and began to eat his bowl of Ramen. On top of the noodles, soup and some vegetables laid delicious-looking slices of a fried carrot. Ubik began with those and chomped down one by one of the orange vegetables.

"Vouch? We don't need you to vouch for us."

"Oh yes, you do. Because you are the first mammals, since the battle of Sekigahara, who represent legal authorities and want to talk to one of the biggest Yakuza families in town. Believe me, you need us," Ubik said and continued eating. Arthur leaned back and tried to accept this answer, but there was more he wanted to know and maybe the buck could give him this information.

"Can I ask you something, Ubik?"

"Sure, maybe I even give you a real answer," The buck replied grinning, while he continued to eat his soup.

"Why does Void wants so badly to know if Kawasemi is a former member of this ominous...Last Order organization? All of her help for this little piece of information? I mean, what could one fox do?" Arthur asked and managed that Jiro's and Camila's attention was now completely on the buck. The noises stopped and Ubik looked with a stern gaze directly into Arthur's eyes, "I think you should ask her this question yourself. I am in no position to answer it. I mean I _could_ but Sis would be mad at me and this is a too high risk for me."

Ubik smiled and Arthur felt that he wouldn't get any more information from the purple eyed rabbit. But the words of the buck sank deep into the mind of Arthur, 'Yeah, maybe he should ask her directly.'

"Also, if you want to smoke a cigarette or take a leak, well...now would be a perfect opportunity to do so," Ubik said and continued to eat his noodles with loud noises, that indicated to everyone in the small restaurant that he liked his meal.

Arthur sighed in the first moment but the longer he thought about the idea of a last break, the more he liked it. His gaze wandered over to Camila, who gave him a little nod towards the entrance. They waited long before both agents stood up and went outside. Arthur could see how Jiro looked pleading after them and he would've called immediately for the young fox if he hadn't to talk with Camila and that urgent.

Outside of the small restaurant was darkness already falling over the city and especially. Some cries of pleasure and laughter waved overt from the main part of the red light district. Which shone in bright red light and looked almost like in Arthur's fantasy from earlier this day. After a short stretch of her limbs, Camila sat on a small wooden bench which stood beside the entrance to the restaurant. Arthur watched her and smiled when she patted the place on the bench beside her.

For a while, both agents sat silently on the small bench and watched the dark park on the other side of the hectic street. Another dark place, which they would soon enter to find out more about Kawasemi and why he came into this town.

"I...I have to apologize…," Arthur began while he looked to the ground. His paws nervously massaged each other but Camila interrupted him immediately, "Please, Arthur. Not again. I told you already, that there's nothing to be sorry about."

"Yes, there is...You remember when you talked yesterday with your daughter?" Arthur asked and saw how Camila's head turned to him, "¿Si?

"I...I told you just the current state of their observation but not the theory Otto shared with me about Bennett," Arthur said and felt how it became more and more difficult for him to talk on, "I...WE think Bennett maybe wants to kill you, Camila. No, I'm pretty sure he wants to do that. You're one of his main targets and I should have told you earlier! I should have…"

Arthur couldn't end his sentence. Camila slung her right arm around his head and pulled him slowly down to her chest. Carefully, she began to caress his cheek with her paw while she gave him a kiss on his neck. Her muzzle remained in his grey fur and for a moment, Arthur didn't know what to say or do, and so he just listened to the steady beat of her heart. He never knew how calming this could be.

"Idiota," Camila whispered into his ear, "Do you really think I wouldn't know that? We both do this job long enough to see when danger awaits us. The moment I understood that Bennett is our enemy, I knew why he called Paul, the Gernach siblings and me into this operation. And I also know why you didn't tell me...so thanks for one day in a long time without any sorrows because I knew you were at my side."

Camila added another kiss to the one before, but this time she placed it in the middle of Arthur's head. The wolf enjoyed the treatment of the feline and relaxed from the unexpected outcome of the conversation.

He couldn't remember a moment in his life where he felt at the same time so cared for and also so dumb for expecting that Camila wouldn't know Bennett's aim. With every new facet that Arthur learned about her, he felt how he fell more and more in love with his witty feline. A mammal, he knew for not longer than forty-eight hours.

When Camila let go of him, he straightened beside her and both watched for another minute the park on the other side.

"I'm still sorry for not telling you," Arthur began and heard immediately a half annoyed and half amused sigh of Camila, "You just can't let it go, can you?"

"I apologize for the things I think I've done wrong. That's how I am," Arthur explained smiling and added after a short break, "Do you think you can live with someone like that?"

"Mmh...I don't know. I guess only time will tell, but…," Camila replied in a playful manner and took Arthur's paw into hers, "...I have a good feeling about you Mr. Lynch."

With his right paw, Arthur took one of the two last cigarettes and gave one to Camila. The feline took the small roll of tabak between her lips and waited with her first breath until Arthur enlightened it. A fine cloud of smoke drifted slowly in the wind until it disappeared, Camila took the cigarette in her free left paw, laid her head on Arthur's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Just a moment, okay."

"For you? Always and as long as you wish."

A smile flashed over Camila's face, just before she handed the glowing stick of tobacco over to Arthur. Happy with this small moment of peace, the grey wolf in his grey suit sat there and enjoyed the calm of the sunset and the feline which was leaning at his side. It didn't even take a minute and an almost silent purring crept into Arthur's left ear. A grin spread over his face when he heard her sleeping but it died instantly when Arthur heard a known voice talking to him from his left side and the corner of the restaurant.

"Young love. Now, what for a lovely view," Void said in a mocking tone, while she tapped the remaining ashes out of her smoking pipe. Arthur wasn't the only one who recognized her. Camila awoke from her small nap and gave a look at the light brown wolf beside her, that Arthur wasn't able to see but he guessed it wasn't a pleasant one.

"Instead of glaring at me, you could get your fox police officer out here to start our little mission. So, Miss Sanchez, what do you say?"

" _Puta,"_ Camila whispered towards Arthur and stood up. For a moment the wolf expected from his feline to walk on but he had underestimated her jealousy. She turned abruptly to him and took his whole face into her black paws, giving Arthur a deep kiss. When she parted from her wolf, she looked the last time to Void and walked back into the small restaurant. Dazzled, Arthur was left alone with Void and watched love drunk after Camila. The female wolf was again preparing her smoking pipe with some tobacco.

"I don't know what you did with her last night, Arthur, but this female mammal is totally fallen for you," Void said, smirking to herself.

"Who said that she's the only one?" Arthur said, smiling.

"Of course...I forgot, this game always needs two idiots and not just one," Void replied and enlightened her pipe. She made two steps and sat beside Arthur, crossing her legs. He, however, took a good look at the wolf beside him.

The white and golden Kimono was gone and replaced by a traditional Samurai tunic, consisting of wide and pleated dark-grey trousers. Above this, she wore a traditional white shirt and dark grey jacket with long sleeves. On her left hip was the katana with the white and gold scabbard, that her sword maiden was holding earlier in her paws and an additional smaller blade in the same colors was just directly above the longer one.

"You are dressed as if you're preparing for war...also, where is your black vixen? Shouldn't be a sword maiden at her master's side?" Arthur asked but kept his eyes on the park in front of him.

"Slan? She's not ready for such a mission and I don't play with the life of my family. To risk my life is more than enough," Void said and cleaned her pipe once again before she hid it away in the wide sleeve of her tunic, "And to the mammal, we will soon meet. He is known for using assassins to eliminate his enemies, even beside the whole Kawasemi incident. He's also not just the head of the second largest Yakuza clan, he is also the boss over multiple companies in this and other towns in the east. Oh! And before I forget it, his and my past was not always peaceful and I learned a long time ago to prepare myself for the worst case. Guns are not my weapon of choice...but a sword? That's something I'm wielding since I was a six-year-old pup," Void said and with a smile.

"Six years of age and already wielding a sword. I guess you could tell one hell of a childhood story," Arthur said and expected an immediate reply but for some reason was the smile on Void's face gone. She looked sad and seemed no longer in the mood for jolly small talk. It took almost a minute until the female wolf replied.

"One hell of a story? Well, hell comes pretty close to the description of my youth...but enough about that, Mr. Lynch. As it seems is the rest of your group here and ready for action," Void replied, nodding towards the entrance of the small restaurant, where Ubik, Camila, and Jiro stood. All of them waiting for the two of them.

Arthur wasn't sure what he should think about a mammal like Void. He could clearly feel that she had a sorrowful past and especially what she did for the mammals in the red light district was remarkable, but nonetheless, she was one of the leading mob bosses of this city. Death was something that she knew very well, either brought by her paw or by others, he was sure of it.

With a stern face, Arthur joined the small group in front of the restaurant and placed himself beside Camila and Jiro.

"Alright, are you ready, Sis?" Ubik asked Void and watched carefully how the wolf responded. Like before she showed just the emotions, she wanted to show. A perfect play. Arthur could see no sign of fear in her facial expression or any sign of retreat.

"You know me. I have no real concern to put my own life at risk...it's one of the others that worries me. But…, " Void said and looked, grinning at Arthur, "...I have also a strong wolf at my side, so I think I'll be okay. And just a reminder. Not you, not Conrad and none of our guards will enter the park tonight. I know you long enough to understand that you made preparations for my safety. Am I right?"

The grey buck stared for a moment with his purple eyes at the wolf, before he sighed after a minute and finally gave up, "Fine! I will call Conrad and the guards and tell them to leave the park alone...I still don't like this whole operation. Not that you ever listened to me, Sis. At least not in the last thirty years, we know each other."

The grey buck crossed his arms and looked miffed back to the restaurant. To the surprise of the little team, who waited for a harsh word of the female wolf and leader of the God Paw here in Izumo, she bowed down and gave the buck a kiss on his forehead.

"You know I would listen to you, Brother, but just when you have the same ideas as me," Void said with a grin. Ubik chuckled in response and replied, "Get this done and send the Agents back into their world of pretended justice."

"I will and one last thing, Ubik, for which I want no objections or smart words from you. If anything happens to me tonight, there is a scroll in my office, which declares you as the next Void of the God Paw in this city and to the guardian over my daughter. Do you understand?" The wolf asked in a stern voice.

"Void...I...Damned, what you want from me is too much…," Ubik went silent and stared for a moment just to the ground. The buck took a deep breath and replied, "However, I... understand. But! This is just the worst case scenario. I want to see your fluffy tail later tonight in one piece, are we clear?"

"Crystal clear, my old friend," Void said, smiling, and gave the rest of the team a signal to follow her. The buck remained in front of the restaurant. Arthur saw that the worries of the buck were real, they were written all over his face. Concern for a mammal from a complete different species, but to which he still refers as his sister and Arthur believed both of them.

If there was one word that would describe the park at best, it would be perfection. Every tree, every straw of grass and every flower looked perfectly worked out, even in the dim light of the yellow shining lanterns and the full moon in the sky.

Their aim was one of the three pavilions near the central lake of the park. On the lake was built another pavilion or better a shrine.

"You two seem close," Camila said while walking beside Void and waiting for a reply from the female wolf, "We are. One of my oldest memories is with him, building sand castles somewhere far, far away from here. He was always around me, guiding me, helping me and he never complained...not once. When I said he's like a brother to me, then I mean it."

"It's just rare to see someone being so close to another species. Especially a wolf and a bunny...That's all."

"Tse...another species...as if this would mean anything," Void said in a scornful tone before she continued, "I saw wolves who betrayed family members and foxes who wanted to give their own life for the sake of a bunny. Nothing is as easy at it seems, especially in this crazy world. To be honest, I thought especially you in your situation would think open about this topic, Miss Sanchez."

The female wolf turned her head over to Camila and smiled knowingly at her. Arthur could already see how the feline would raise her fist against Void but nothing happened. Instead, Camila smiled back in the same manner. As if they're just teasing each other. Like old friends.

Arthur always thought that he was good in understanding mammals, not perfect and not nearly as good as Marie when she needed information but still, he thought of himself as someone who gets the most context of a conversation. Spoken or unspoken. But this right now was something that went beyond his mind. Some hidden conversation that could only occur between female mammals.

"Oh, I am open about this...I was just interested to hear your opinion," Camila replied. They had reached the pavilion, which was, at first sight, another temple for one of the three goddesses. The three, who had once ended the war between all species almost two thousand years ago. A myth, but some mammals still believed in it until today. And what should Arthur say against it? Good stories die hard. The unifying good in the world that connects all mammals beyond species and creates a world in which all can live in peace? What an ending. Story or just coincidence they had kept their word until today. There was peace in the world...more or less.

"Alright, I need to make a report to our second team. What is the name of the park?" Arthur asked Void who stood with crossed arms in front of a stone obelisk on which a lot of foreign symbols were engraved and probably described one of the three goddesses. Without turning back she replied, "We are here in the Hamarikyu Gardens and this is the east shrine," Void said and continued to study the monolith in front of her.

"Good...thank you," Arthur replied and opened the communication device. He tried to reach the two brothers but none of them answered the call. He tried it a second time but even this didn't work out. Finally, Arthur decided to leave a short message on the other device, which they could read as soon as they had the time for it.

'They're probably just eating dinner, right now. At least I would do that if I had to watch Bennett doing probably the same on the other side of the street,' Arthur thought and turned to Jiro who looked frightened and Camila who was on high alert.

"Alright, I left them a message. So, in case anything happens to us they can pick up the trace from here," Arthur said and saw a nod from Camila and Jiro.

"Void, when will our contact be here?"

But there was no answer from the female wolf in front of the obelisk. Since their arrival she stared at the top of the obelisk. Almost as if there was something hidden, that only she could see.

"Void?"

"They're already here, Agents. Just look," Void said and for the first time, Arthur recognized that at the top of the obelisk sat a mammal, dressed in black. The only thing that could be seen as the reflection of the moonlight that showed them a pair of yellow feline eyes. He couldn't say for sure what for a mammal was looking down at them but if he had to guess, he would bet that the mammal in the darkness was an Ocelot. It was too small for leopard or tiger but also too big for a wild cat.

Camila had already her right paw at her gun, while Jiro stood in shock beside her and didn't seem to know what he should do. To keep the situation under control, Arthur laid his paw on Camila's left shoulder. He could feel her muscles relax from his touch.

"We just want to talk," the grey wolf said calm, while his paws gave everyone the unmistakable sign to relax. Arthur knew Camila and Jiro would follow his example, but he wasn't sure about Void's reaction, "Right, Void?"

She had her left paw on her sword and pushed with her thumb slowly the blade for an inch out of its scabbard. Growling, she looked up to the mammal in the darkness.

"It's you Hanzo, right? You damn feline Ninja! That he had to send you! You, of all mammals that work for him!"

A fine and female but also monotone voice echoed from the top of the obelisk, "I can assure you Void, that my last mission was nothing personal."

"Nothing personal? You killed one of my girls on the streets of MY district. I swore to protect them! Additional to her you wounded five of my guards, two of them heavily. Now,

come down and I teach you what it means to attack the God Paw of Izumo," Void shouted up to the mammal and Arthur had the feeling that Void's relationship with the Tsukiyama family and her description with the words not-always-peaceful, was a big understatement.

"I would prefer not to, Void-sama. This fight would end badly, if not even deadly, for both of us. My mission is to escort you to Master Ieyasu, not fight you...and to the girl you mentioned. She knew too much about one of our mammals and had to be silenced. You would have done the same in our situation...and like I said. It was nothing personal," Hanzo replied in the same calm and monotone voice, that made Void crazy.

"Anyhow…," the mammal in the darkness sounded more and more bored with every minute that passed, "You will lead the way to the main shrine, Void-sama and you Arthur Lynch will follow. The other two will stay here."

"You dare to give me orders? Is this your way of showing some sympathy for what you've done? Nothing personal...paw! How can..," Void began anew but stopped when a paw grabbed her shoulder. Calm and soothing, Arthur spoke to her, "Void, I have no idea what happened between you two and believe me, I'm sorry for your loss but this isn't the right time or place to settle this. So, please...put your sword back and let us follow her."

Still annoyed but snapped out of her blind rage, Void turned her head from the mammal at the top of the obelisk back to Arthur. She growled at him and shrugged off the wolf's paw.

"Fine! Let's get this done...damn Ieyasu...one day he'll pay for this," Void murmured and left the pavilion. All eyes followed the angered mob boss. Again sounded the feline voice from the top of the obelisk but Arthur knew he wouldn't cry about the fact, to never hear from her again.

"Follow her. I will join you on your way. You won't see me but I'll be there," The meek, feline voice said from the top of the obelisk.

"Just you or others like you?" Arthur asked but there came no answer and not that he awaited anything from a ninja.

For just a second Arthur looked down at the engraved symbols, but when his gaze went back up there was just the obelisk in the darkness and nothing else. The mammal was gone and he couldn't find any sign or trace that it was ever there.

'Powerful organisation that no one knows, Killer Foxes, bomb attacks, traitors, undercover missions, Samurais and now ninjas. Oh! And of course falling in love with another agent from another species...This mission becomes crazier with every passing second...,' Arthur thought and shook grinning his head, '...But isn't that exactly what you wanted, Arthur? Is this what I wanted?'

Arthur didn't know the answer to this question or he didn't want to admit it.

'For some parts it really was the action but first and foremost, he wanted to make this world a better place.'

A paw grabbed carefully Arthur's shoulder and woke him from his daydream, "You should leave now, Arthur. Jiro and I will keep an eye out for any strange activity."

Despite the darkness, Arthur could see a gentle smile on Camila's face. And as if a switch was pushed in him he couldn't resist and smiled back at her. Just for a second he searched for something in his pocket and handed it over to her. Camila began immediately to examine the object.

"Is that...Paul's stupid old coin?"

"Stupid?" Arthur asked and had to chuckle.

"Si, he always claimed that this thing would bring him luck and that it once belonged to the Inspector who caught the Ripper...but the truth is that, he found that coin after a mission in an old antique store in Oxford. The owner talked him into this… but why do you have it now, " Camila replied and waited for Arthur's response, "Shortly before the explosion, he gave it to me and said that sometimes everything an agent needs is a little bit of luck...and I'm sure that you don't believe in things like luck and neither do I...I have also no real clue if Paul's death showed me anything in this regard, but if there's the tiniest possibility that one of us can leave this town alive because of an old and stupid coin...I want it to be you."

Camila was dazzled when she heard those words from Arthur and for the fraction of a long second, she stood just in the darkness of the pavilion with an open muzzle and stared at the grey wolf. It didn't take long for the feline to recover her smile.

Camila grabbed Arthur's jacket and pulled him close to her. A short but passionate kiss was her answer to him and three short words.

"Don't die."

Camila said, parting from him. He wasn't sure if he saw tears glittering through the moonlight and it was too late to check on her, because Camila turned with crossed arms away from him and he knew that she wanted to be the one by his side, not Void.

"I won't…," Arthur said and walked to the entrance of the pavilion. At the entrance stood still Jiro, to which Arthur directed some words, "Please watch her back, Jiro. She's an experienced agent but also just a mammal like me."

"I will do my best, Arthur," Jiro replied and smiled. The young fox looked quite bold in the twilight that the moon provided, Arthur thought and directed some last words at him, "Thanks, Jiro. I owe you."

Together with the still angered Void, who waited a few meters in front of the entrance, Arthur walked towards the biggest of the four pavilions. The massive building was not just built on top of a lake but also in the middle of it and this lake marked at the same time the center of the park.

The knowledge of his newest enemy and that they acted in the shadows made him more cautious of the darkness around him. Every now and then, Arthur believed he saw something moving in the shadows of trees and bushes. When the wooden shrine came into sight for the first time, Arthur checked like many times in the last two days his gun. The building was tall and had at least four floors. It wasn't just a simple shrine like the other three. It was a huge temple to honor the three goddesses. A pagoda.

'That's a lot of room for an ambush,' Arthur thought when he checked the tower in front of him and saw that Void was glancing over her shoulder directly at him.

"You can feel them too, right?"

There was a hatred in her voice that went deeper than a normal conflict between mob bosses. Her left paw enclosed already the scabbard of her sword, while her right paw moved slowly to the handle.

"Yes, I can see them... but right now, I would prefer to see that you leave your sword where it belongs," Arthur replied and waited nervously for her answer, before he added what crossed his mind, "If you hate him and his mammals so much, why do you help me personally? I guess you could have sent any of your underlings to escort me."

A deep sigh escaped Void's muzzle. She didn't seem to be happy but spoke anyway, "I have to know if Kawasemi is the mammal I'm expecting. I just have to know. It's important for my...for us."

"But why? What does it change?" Void took her time before she replied, but when she did, Arthur could hear no bit of sarcasm in her voice like earlier this day, just pure honesty and for the first time – fear.

"Maybe everything. My life, the life of my daughter, this town, your town...maybe even every town on this goddamn planet."

"The...planet? I think that sounds a little bit exaggerated. And with a little, I mean it sounds completely insane," Arthur said, chuckling and walked on. Not for a second he could believe what the female wolf said to him.

Void stopped abruptly. When he turned, it took the grey wolf a moment before he realized that she was staring at him.

"You have no idea what the right mammal in the wrong place can do to this world. Maybe not today, or tomorrow but someday in the future, the world as we know it could end because of him."

Arthur remained and just nodded. He had no idea what she was talking about but the seriousness of her words sent a shiver down his spine. When Void walked on, she made the last stop right beside him.

"We two will probably never see his actions in reality but our children and grandchildren will probably face the consequences one day. But...when the time comes... pray, that you're already too old to do anything," Void said and made a little pause in which she looked up to the center of the small lake, "Come on, we have to go. I don't want to give Ieyasu more time than he deserves."

Arthur wasn't sure about anything she said. Everything sounded so unreal, as if it came directly from a movie or one of the large books Arthur's mother loved to read.

Their path to the shrine led them over a wooden bridge and towards the center of the lake. Every now and then, Arthur could hear the sound of claws on wood. They weren't alone but he couldn't say how many mammals were out there. It could be one, ten or a hundred. There was no clear indication of how powerful the enemy was and that made him nervous.

Dark and silent laid the first floor of the shrine in front of them. The same monotone voice like before sounded from somewhere, within the room, but besides wooden columns, statues, benches, and some weak glowing lanterns, the two wolves could see nobody.

"Mr. Lynch, please follow the stairs to the highest floor. My master is waiting there for you," Hanzo, the feline ninja said without revealing her position and both began to walk towards the staircase.

"Not you, Void. Just Mr. Lynch."

No sarcastic reply from Void this time but Arthur heard how she stomped her feet rapidly on the ground.

"Just go and get this over. I'm tired of this game."

A nod from one wolf to the other and Arthur began to climb the stairs towards the highest floor. Lanterns marked his way upwards but when he looked around he couldn't see anyone on the floors he passed. Not that it meant that there was nobody. By now, he was not so certain about his loneliness.

His lungs begged him for a cigarette when he had reached the highest floor but he told himself that later would be plenty of time for one.

The highest floor was small and shaped like a square, with four benches. Each of them faced one cardinal direction and Arthur was sure that during daytime, you would have a magnificent view over the park and Izumo central. On the bench, that was directed towards the west, sat a panda bear and watched calmly the expensive buildings of the high born mammals in the mountains to the west, which enclosed the town.

Arthur made a step towards him, "Mr. Tsukiyama?"

The black and white bear, who was illuminated by the moonlight, didn't react immediately. But when he did, Arthur saw it as an invitation and began walking towards his bench. In contrast to Void was this mob boss wearing a pretty expensive looking suit, which was no surprise, if Arthur considered that he was not just a mob boss but also the owner of multiple large companies, here in Izumo.

"Arthur Lynch. Member of the ZBI and the ICOU. You wanted to talk to me and here I am." The Panda said, smiling up to Arthur who stood in front of him, "Please, Mr. Lynch take a seat. Connecting to another mammal is so hard when the participants are not on the same eye level. Don't you agree?" The Panda said. His voice was calm, concentrated but also rough.

Arthur felt no immediate danger and sat beside the Panda bear with his folded paws and perfect black suit. A new feeling came to Arthur and that was that this mob boss beside him wanted this meeting as much as he and that he would soon find out why.

"I heard you have a connection to a killer with the name Kawasemi? You know why he is here and maybe even where he is now?"

"I can and will answer the first two questions with a clear - yes. For the third question. Well, I don't know exactly where he is but maybe I can give you a hint, " Mr. Tsukiyama replied. His calm talking made Arthur somehow uneasy and he could feel that he was no typical mob boss, he planned carefully what would happen and when.

"Okay, then let's begin with the question. Why is Kawasemi here in Izumo?"

"He's here because I called for him and he came. You see to understand my decision, you have to understand this town. Once there were hundreds of fractions here in Izumo. So many Yakuza, Police member who fought against each other and nobles. All of them wanted to have a bigger piece of the cake but over the years, some leading fractions crystalized from the mass of competitors. And by now, you should know all of the leading fractions," Mr. Tsukiyama said and like before he had this cold smile on his muzzle that made Arthur uneasy.

"The Sanada family with the Police, Void with the God Paw, as well as Mr. Yoshimura and you with your families...well, now just you."

"Exactly Mr. Lynch. You understood fast the essence of this town. Anyhow, all other fractions in this town like the nobles, the company owning mammals and so on, all of them tended to one of this bigger fractions. What I did or wanted to do was to eliminate one big fraction from this equation. But no one wanted or could do what I had planned...Well, until I heard of Kawasemi," Mr. Tsukiyama made a short pause and inhaled deeply before he went on, "It didn't take long and he came to me. I told him what I wanted and he told what he wanted in return."

Arthur looked up to the Panda and saw that his smile was gone. He waited for the next question and so, Arthur asked what was on his mind, "What does he want?"

"Everything. Which meant at that time an amount of approximately 500 million Zootopia Dollars. An incredible amount of money for a mob family that owned half the companies in this city but for a single mammal? At that time, I laughed about him and said okay. I didn't know that I made a deal with the devil. Because I was sure he would never do it or he would fail. I thought he was just a mad mammal. Not more and not less," Mr. Tsukiyama explained and went silent for a moment. For a second, Arthur believed to see something like regret in the eyes of the Panda, "He needed two weeks of preparation and one night, in which he executed his plan and killed every leading mammal of the Yoshimura family. Everyone dead, except for a small bundle of fur. A black vixen which was just a few weeks old. Her name is Eto and she's the only daughter of the head of the Yoshimura family...and the only survivor."

Arthur made that new information uneasy, but he didn't know what was more unsettling, that they were missing in the official police report or that he heard them from a mob boss. He kept calm but his mind was already working with this new information.

'What does a mammal want with 500 million dollars? What is his goal? And the question still remains, how could one fox kill so many mammals?'

"So, you gave him 500 million at once? In cash? Just like that?"

The Panda laughed heartily about Arthur's words, "Of course not. Nobody in this world has such an amount of money laying around and as you can imagine I still tried to prevent this situation, because, in the end, he is just one fox. So, I sent my mammals after him but even they weren't able to kill or even locate him and then...well," The Panda sighed.

"He turned the tables and began to hunt down you. Am I right?" Arthur asked and this time it was the wolf who smiled. There was always a small feeling of justice for Arthur when he heard that the bad guys started to fight each other.

The Panda, however, shifted his place on the bench as if he was reminded that he was sitting in an uncomfortable position.

"Yes and that with success," The Panda said and searched for something in his jacket. After a few seconds, he pulled out a silver cigarette case that was probably worth more than one month of Arthur's pay, maybe even two. Mr. Tsukiyama took one cigarette out of the box and held the silver case in front of Arthur. The Panda saw the suspicious look, first towards the case and then at him.

"Don't worry. Those are mine and definitely not poisoned, if you think that," The Panda replied with a chuckle. Arthur took the offered cigarette and waited for fire. With a similar expensive looking silver lighter, Mr. Tsukiyama ignited the tip of Arthur's cigarette and then his own. Both inhaled the smoke and tasted the bitter flavor. It was much stronger than Arthur's normal cigarettes but he didn't complain.

"Anyhow...I tried my best to take him down. I even sent my personal guards after him, but even five ninjas weren't enough to stop him and only one mammal returned alive. She was the one who escorted you to this place. It was at this moment that I understood if my ninjas couldn't kill him, nobody I know could. You may think I'm cold-hearted, to break a contract and kill a mammal, but that's not the case. In fact, I agreed to pay the money because I'm not ready to sacrifice any more of my mammals or my family," Mr. Tsukiyama ended and looked now directly at Arthur, who had just finished the cigarette, "And at this point, you come into play."

Arthur chuckled about those last words because he suspected something like this. Why else would a mob boss, who owned multiple companies and now the largest Yakuza family in Izumo, talk willingly with an agent who could cost him everything?

"You want me to stop him, so you can stop paying him. Am I right? Why wasting your own resources and mammals, when you can waste someone's else. But to do that you have to give me information about Kawasemi."

The Panda laughed and flicked the remains of his cigarette over the wooden railing, where it probably landed on the roof of the temple. Arthur was no huge believer in the three goddesses but even he thought that such buildings should be treated with some respect and put his own stub into the pocket of his jacket, after he killed the fire.

"Maybe I shouldn't have talked to you, after all, you seem to be brighter than the average ICOU agent. Could be bad for me in the future...but the dice have been cast and every one of us have to live with the consequences," Mr. Tsukiyama said and stood up, "Dock D, Warehouse 23. That's where we have to deposit his money every month for the next twenty years. Maybe you find some answers...or if you're lucky, even a certain fox. Unfortunately, that's all I can give you."

Smiling, Mr. Tsukiyama remained for some seconds in front of Arthur, where he buttoned up his suit jacket, "Sayonara, Mr. Lynch. It was a pleasure talking to you and just the best for the investigation. Maybe you can even find Mr. Bennett and give him his just punishment."

Just for a second, Arthur wanted to ask where he had this information but he knew that he would get no clear answer. Without looking back, the Panda left the top floor and Arthur remained alone on the bench, were he thought for a moment about the new developments in this case, while he heard the Panda walking down the crackling staircase.

'A warehouse? He needs a name to rent such a place but what does names mean for a mammal like Kawasemi. It's probably made up and leads nowhere but this is still the best lead we had until now...what do I even think, that's the only lead we have until now. How high is the possibility that Bennett knows about this place and also wants to go there, collecting the money for his part in selling the ICOU member information? I have to go back to Camila and Jiro, we have to talk this through and that immediately,' Arthur thought and stood finally up. Without losing any more time, he walked down the stairs, taking more often than he intended two steps at once. Fast, he followed the small red lanterns down the stairs.

When he reached the base level of the building Arthur couldn't see Void or any other mammal. He could hear the splashing of some fishes from the small lake. There was just darkness and still, there was also the feeling that he wasn't alone. Unsure what he should do, Arthur stood still in front of the staircase, watching carefully his surrounding and sniffing the air for other mammals.

"I almost thought he killed you and left. Wouldn't surprise me at all. But you seem to be fine," Void said and inhaled deeply from her pipe. Only the red glowing chamber with the tobacco revealed her position. The female wolf sat on a bench beside the entrance and waited for him. Void's mood seemed better than before and he was glad for this change.

"No, I'm fine. But, we have to hurry back."

"So, he told you where he is?"

"No...well not directly but he told me about a warehouse at the docks."

"Mmh...that's not much."

"Yes, but it's better than nothing. Let's go back, so you can return to your role as queen of the red light district and I can discuss this info with my team."

"Oh, what a gentlemammal you are, Agent Lynch. Someone, who is worried about the ladies around him, " Void replied in a sarcastic tone, while she walked beside Arthur. A big smile bloomed on Arthur's face. He wanted to tease back, when the communication device in his inner suit jacket began to vibrate, just when they left the wooden bridge. Arthur didn't even waste a glance at the device and held it directly to his ear. His smile to Void died in an instant when he heard the rough voice from the device.

"I wish you a wonderful evening Mr. Lynch. Please tell me, didn't I gave you the order to return to your cities and wait for further instruction?"

Arthur stopped and Void needed a moment to recognize that the wolf had his fists clenched, while he stared at the path in front of him, but she could feel that something wasn't okay.

Meanwhile, his mind was going crazy. How could such an incompetent leader like Simon Bennett get his paws on the communication device of the two brothers? Arthur had ideas how he did but he liked none of them. The two brothers were excellent in their job, but foremost they were careful.

"What did you do to the Gernach brothers?"

A moment of silence followed that was replaced by laughter coming from the device.

"What I did? Well, insubordination has dire consequences. You should know that," Bennett said and chuckled.

"WHAT DID YOU DO…," Arthur shouted into the small device and got his answer faster than he expected but also calmer than he expected, "I killed them, Arthur. Something I wanted to do for a long time. You can't imagine what a relief it was to end the life of this choleric deer and his socially crippled brother. I just wish their father could be alive to feel what it means to lose something important," Bennett answered and Arthur was sure by now that he was grinning on the other side. He could hear it in his voice and it made him sick.

'Dead?' Arthur could hardly believe it, 'They are...were two well-trained agents and he just an old lion. What has happened? Was it his fault? Without him, this wouldn't have happened...No! Don't even start to go this way, Arthur. He is the criminal! He has to be stopped. It's his fault...If he's telling the truth. He…,' Arthur thought and clenched his fists even tighter, so tight that he felt how his claws poked into his paw pads. A small stream of blood trickled down his paw but vanished unseen into his fur. He even ground his teeth but like the blood, Arthur barely even noticed this. What he also didn't notice was Void who asked with a rising voice what was going on.

"What do you want, Bennett?" Arthur asked grim and said it loud enough that even Void understood who talked to him on the phone.

Again, laughter came from the other side of the communication device before he began to speak, "Me? In the end, I just want, what's rightfully mine, Arthur."

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked confused, while he continued to walk on. By then, he was almost jogging and just the aim to reach Camila and Jiro in time was on his mind.

"I'm talking about the last thirty years, in which I sacrificed my life and my marriage to chase after so many criminals with a group of agents that turned out to be traitors. And for what? A weak handshake and a petty retirement salary? No, not even this... Paul, Camila, and the old Gernach deer wanted to get rid of me. Me! The oldest and highest decorated member of the ICOU! But the tables have turned. Paul and the whole Gernach family...they're all dead, just Camila remains," Arthur said. Another voice came through the device and this one froze for a second the blood in Arthur's veins. Since the beginning of the conversation, he asked himself where Bennett was, but after the next words, there was no mistaking where he was...and with whom.

"Y una mierda(Bullshit)! You destroyed your marriage and life all by yourself! You gambled, you lied and even worse you risked the lives of others without any regret and that's why we…," Camila was cut off and all Arthur heard was a hard slap, followed by a painful moan and Jiro's voice, that hurried to her, "Stay back fox! And you! You listen to me! What do you think who you are to lecture me, Camila? You're nothing but a damn slut, who couldn't even stay in her own species. Yes, that's right. I know about you and your little wolf on the other end of the line."

The wooden shrine was already in sight when anger was rising in the wolf, as he had never felt before. He couldn't even remember that he was ever in such a state. Whatever happened to Camila, he wanted nothing more at this moment than to kill Simon Bennett for what he had done to her, 'Damn the consequences. Should they arrest me for killing him so be it. But if I get my paws on that damn lion, he's done. That's for sure.'

The communication device activated again and it was again Bennett's voice that sounded partly amused about the mammal in front of him and partly disgusted, "Do you think I wouldn't notice? Everyone knew it, the moment you two entered the room. You stank of him and he stank of you! First, a daughter without a father and now the unnatural behavior of an interspecies relationship? How deep can one mammal sink, Camila?" Bennett made a break in which Arthur could just hear the lion breath until he heard the click of a revolver that was ready to shoot, "Nothing of this matters now…Do you have any last words for your wolf? I guess I owe you that much for all the years of us working together."

Muffled cries sounded from the speaker of the communication device and Arthur imagined how the lion had pinned her down by her throat, with his gun against her head. He hated this image in his mind but it kept him going forward at a pace that was out of his normal speed.

"Arthur...I know we had not much time but…," Camila began to speak under tears but Arthur interrupted her, "NO! If you want to say it, then say it directly to me. I'm almost there and I will save you."

Silence for some long and painfully seconds and then just three words came through the ether, almost too quiet to hear them, "Arthur...te amo."

Arthur cared no longer for anyone or anything around him, all he wanted was to reach the shrine and Camila. His feet rushed over the sandy path, while he drew his gun from his holster. He needed to be ready for the old lion. With his weapon in his right paw and the phone pressed against his left ear, he ran on, just one aim in sight.

'Almost...almost...almost…,' Arthur thought desperately when a shot from a revolver screeched through the air. With wide eyes and a burning desire to kill, he stopped but just to run on in the next moment.

Something wasn't right he knew, there was another gunshot and another and a fourth. Then a moment of silence, followed by the painful screams of the lion.

'What is going on there?'

Arthur was just ten meters away from the shrine when he could see movement in the darkness and voices shouting at each other. There was Bennett's voice, but also Jiro's and...Camila! She was alive. It was not too late. Arthur raised his gun and pointed at the fight in front of him, but he quickly realized that a shot from here was insane and could do more harm than good.

"YOU DAMN FOX! Seems like I start with you!" Bennett shouted and pointed his Revolver to the ground. A shout from Camila followed, "NO!"

Bennett fired another shot from his Revolver in the darkness of the shrine, this time Arthur could see the face of Bennett, enlightened for the fraction of a second by the flash of the shot. He looked like one of the demons in the old stories about the three goddesses, which they had to kill to bring peace to the world and all mammals. Strange what came to your mind in moments like this.

BANG.

And then silence. Arthur stopped for a moment but walked on when he saw a massive shadow leaving the scene in front of him.

A metallic smell was in the air, something he knew only too well from all the crime scenes he had visited in the past. Arthur walked slowly into the center of the shrine with its black obelisk. There she was, laying in the pale moonlight of a cloud-free night. To her left kneeled Jiro and tried his best to help Camila survive. Arthur's gun sunk when he saw the black lake beside her and how it was growing. Jiro had taken off his jacket and tried to stop the blood loss in this way.

Without hesitation, Arthur kneeled down beside her and took her in his arms. His left paw held carefully her head and his right pressed on the jacket above her wound, which was maybe three inches to the right of her navel. A critical place for such a wound. Camila's white blouse was already drenched in a deep red.

'No, no, no...please, no...'

Arthur didn't care for the blood on his pants or shirt. All he wanted was to hold the shaking feline in his arms and tell her that everything would be alright. Her breathing was fast and unregulated. In the first seconds, they looked each other in the eyes. None of them was able to say anything. Jiro was the one who did the talking for her.

"He...he came out of nowhere...I...I...I'm so sorry, Arthur. I jumped on his back and attacked him when he wanted to...to shoot Camila...But...but it was not enough. He threw me to the ground and...and...and pointed his revolver to me. Everything happened so fast, Camila pushed me out of the way and took...took the bullet for me. I'm so sorry, Arthur, " Jiro said and tried to get himself under control. Without taking his eyes from Camila's, Arthur replied to the fox with a very calm voice, as if he tried to soothe the fox in front of him and the badly injured feline in his arms, "Jiro, you did well...but please call an ambulance for her. Would you do that?"

'Why her? Why not me? Dammit'

The fox nodded and stood up with shaking feet, pulling his walkie-talkie from his belt and vanishing behind the obelisk. Jiro voice began immediately to give the closest hospital, the information of the wounded mammal. Arthur understood nothing but he knew help would soon be here.

"He probably hit your artery and that's where all the blood is coming from...maybe we could…," Arthur began but Camila laid her index finger on his muzzle to silence him. She smiled this beautiful smile, possible that this was the first thing for which Arthur fell in love with her.

"Estupido...I know how bad it looks and what my chances are…, " the shaking of her body became more and more badly with every second. Arthur knew that she would soon enter an unconsciousness state because of blood loss. Camila mobilized the last strength she had and spoke, "I wished we could have more time together."

"Don't say something like that! Jiro is already calling an ambulance. You'll live. Jiro! Hurry up!"

Her smile was weak but even then, Arthur saw that she knew the truth. Her paw caressed slowly Arthur's cheek, even so, it should be him who comforted her but he was not able to do anything that needed a clear mind, "You and I saw enough mammals with such a wound to know what will happen, mi amor... But you know what I regret the most?"

"No, but please tell me," Arthur said. He felt that tears were running down his face but he still wanted to give her the time to let her speak the words she wanted.

"I wish you could have met Valeria...I wanted to see...you two together...at least...once, " Camila said smiling, while her left paw fell slowly down to the wooden floor. Her eyes closed and Arthur knew that her system was slowly shutting down. Arthur gave her a last kiss on her forehead and laid her head carefully down on the ground. He didn't know if it helped in any way but he took off his jacket and made her a little pillow. Arthur placed it carefully underneath her head.

"I love you, Camila. Promise me to fight, I know you can. Camila? NO! No, no, no…"

There was nothing more he could do for her. The tears streamed uncontrollably down his face and began to dampen the fur on his cheek. There remained only one thing and that was the burning wish to kill the monster who did this, Arthur stood up and checked his gun and magazine. Everything was ready. But most of all, he was ready.

"I called the ambulance. It will be here in four minutes," Jiro said and looked with a devastating gaze down to the bleeding and now unconsciousness Camila. The bleeding was slowing down and Jiro kneeled down beside her to immediately begin to press against the wound.

"Stay here and please do everything you can to keep her alive...I know the chances are...minimal."

"But...what is with you.

"I will hunt down, Bennett, " Arthur said and for a second he awaited the request from Jiro to stay. But what then happened astounded even the old cop and agent, "Bennett has a large wound on his right leg. He was bleeding badly when he left...you should be able to catch him easily with that...He ran in the direction of the red light district."

"Thank you, Jiro," Arthur said and turned around. When he had reached the entrance, Jiro shouted some last words after him, "Camila will live. I promise you, Arthur."

A smile flashed over Arthur's face before he replied, "I'll always be in your debt if you can make this wonder happen."

Without turning back, Arthur followed the trace of Simon Bennett. The old lion who killed so many mammals and now probably also the first one for which he was fallen in his whole life.

On his way after the lion, he took out the communication device and activated it. He could follow him in secret but that wasn't what Arthur wanted. He wanted a fight and maybe that Bennett felt some kind of fear for the things he did.

The device connected but the lion remained calm. Arthur spoke cold and ended the call immediately afterward.

"I'm coming for you."

The night was bright and clear, and Arthur could feel that this case would soon end.


	38. Pride and Wrath

**What happened before?**

The end of the hunt is near. Arthur Lynch had received the information he needed to find a new path towards Kawasemi, not knowing that another danger was lurking not far away from him. Simon Bennett was on his way to kill Camila Sanchez, the last mammal of a group of three who not long ago tried to impeach the old lion from his leading position as an agent of the ICOU. They failed to get him fired and Bennett planned in secret their death and his retirement. For this he used the help of Kawasemi. His final attack left a devastated Jiro who took care of a severely injured Camila, but Arthur was already after him. Trying to find the mammal who hurt the one he loved.

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 **38\. Pride and Wrath**

" _An eye for an eye, and the whole world would be blind."_

―

 _Kahlil Gibran_

* * *

 **Arthur**

* * *

The morning sun was already peeking over the horizon of the Izumo bay as Arthur checked his gun and magazine for the tenth in the last hour. All the bullets of his Glock 17 were where they should be, sixteen in the magazine and one already in the barrel. If he was back home from in Zootopia, John would've cracked a Joke about this odd behavior. Arthur did this whenever the two of them were on a stakeout.

'What do you think changed between the last time you checked your gun and now? Do you think all bullets flew away?' John always said the same stupid sentence and Arthur just smiled about it without any reply. Well, normally he would smile but not now. He was too concentrated on the task that awaited him and the only one who would understand it, John, was multiple thousands of miles away from him. Hopefully still in bed with Marie.

The traces of the old lion were at first easy to find, as Arthur only had to follow the blood. The side streets of the red light district were Bennetts first choice. They were dark, mostly unused and wide enough even for a mammal of his size. The old lion knew how to avoid trouble and to hide in the shadows, which was especially remarkable if one considered his size and age.

No matter how fast Arthur tried to follow him, he couldn't catch up. At least until now. The whole night, he went after him and down to the docks of Izumo. The blood ended at the backdoor of an old pub, from there on Arthur had to concentrate solely on the scent of the lion and nothing else. It was hard work to follow a mammal at night through an unknown area but in the end, he found him. When he saw where his hunt ended, Arthur laughed because he could have guessed where everything would end.

Here he was, across the street of Warehouse 23, in the Department of Dock D. The one location which was given to him by Ieyasu Tsukiyama, the mob boss who hired Kawasemi to eliminate the second largest Yakuza clan in town. In the end, all roads lead to the same destination.

Arthur was cold, tired and exhausted, and to top it all off he could feel the throbbing pain of a headache coming from the front of his skull. This time it came from right between his eyes and it was the sort of pain he hated the most.

'Damn, I wish could lay in bed right now. A warm blanket to cover me and Ca…,' Arthur's thought stopped and he felt how tears began to gather in his eyes. He had tried his best to keep her out of his thoughts but this was no longer possible. Not forever but right now was not the time for grief.

Too late. Pictures, scents, and sounds of her flooded his mind and made him think of the last few days. It was just days but it felt more like a whole different life when he first came to image above all else was burned into his mind; Camila's last moments before she passed out in his arms. Until then she had tried to soothe him, not for a second she had thought of herself or what would happen to her. He knew she wanted to make it easier for him but it didn't helped, not one bit. Arthur tried to face reality and the fact that she was probably gone and with her everything he had imagined for their future, but he still had to get Bennett. It was the least he could do for her.

'Bennett will pay for what he has done. For Paul, for the Gernach brothers, for all the other dead mammals in this mission and especially for Camila,' Arthur thought and wiped with the back of his left paw the tears from his face. He checked his gun and magazine for the last time and stood up from the doorstep of the warehouse,not even a hundred meters away from his goal. His limbs were stiff from the cold and foggy weather and it took Arthur a minute to feel ready for the task in front of him.

He crossed the street over to warehouse 23, the first sunlight of the day revealing that he was still in the bloody cloth from last night. His pants, shirts and large parts of the fur on his arms, chest, and neck were a sticky mess of dried blood. But he was already used to it and so didn't even recognize the by then dark color and his messy appearance. It wasn't his blood but by the three goddesses, he wished it was. He wished he could have taken the bullet for her but he was too slow.

He opened the door as silently as possible and took a last deep breath before he entered the dark of the warehouse. The air was stuffy in here, almost as if this building wasn't used much in the past. The wolf was alone in a small corridor that led towards the main storage hall. The light's failure to turn on was probably intentional and didn't surprise Arthur at all. Bennett was prepared and waiting for him, the wolf was sure of it.

With his gun raised and a careful step, Arthur walked into the main storage hall. Seemingly endless rows of storage racks were packed with old boxes, crates, and sacks, filled with items Arthur didn't know and in which he had no interest.

Light was rare in this place and only provided by a number of small windows right under the roof. But it was enough to see, at least for Arthur. His target was here, he could smell the scent of the old lion and a small hint of blood was there as well... and something else.

After the tenth row of storage racks was a gap large enough for three more storage racks, but instead there were just two tables and some chairs. The first table was blank but the second had various bandages and medical supply standing on it. All of it looked used but not old.

'So this is the place, where he patched himself up...and that's the source of the smell I couldn't identify – medical iodine,' Arthur thought and inspected the used items on the table. This wasn't used a long time ago. Some drops of iodine were sprinkled over the table and were still wet.

"Where are you, Bennett? Come out and take your punishment like a real agent! I have no interest in searching the whole day for an old and wounded lion in a warehouse! " Arthur shouted into the large storage hall and waited until the echoes were gone. Nothing for the next seconds until a small chuckle grew to a burst of laughter. The sound seemed to come from every side, but he knew that wasn't true but no matter how hard Arthur tried to concentrate he couldn't locate the source.

"Old and wounded you say, Arthur? Well, I have to admit that your damned fox could dig his claws pretty deep into my left calf; that was the moment that made me want to shoot Camila. That was an extraordinary work for a mammal like him, in the end, it was nothing more than a stroke of luck. But to think that I'm done, just like that is very arrogant of you Arthur. Have you any idea how I came into the position of Leading Director in the ICOU?"

"No, but why don't you tell me?" Arthur replied. He needed time to locate Bennett. So why not use the huge ego of the lion to buy some time? Of course he knew all the stories about him and his past. They were the common fairy tales every federal agent in every town knew about those early agents. For Arthur, Bennett was like a hero in such tales. Well...was.

'Speak on and I promise you that I'll find you and put a bullet in your damn head.'

"Well, good luck trying, but I think you took your mouth a little bit too full with your last words." Bennett said and Arthur asked himself what this could mean and replied stoic, "We'll see, who finds whom first."

"Try it but I know how it will end...Anyhow, back to my story. Did you know that at the beginning of the ICOU, there were only seven agents? We always fought alone, trained to kill and not to solve crimes. It was a time the ICOU would like to forget but for me…, " Bennett made a short break and inhaled deeply. Arthur would bet all his money that Bennett was right now thinking of his past and a lot of pleasant memories. Simon Bennett continued, "...It was the best time of my damn life. We had everything we wanted...money, fame and females. The criminals of this world even gave us a name. The Seven Deadly Sins. Hah, guess which sin they gave me, Arthur?"

'The hell...As if I don't know about the seven deadly sins. Every agent on this planet knows about them. They are the heroes in the fairy tales we agents tell each other on stakeouts or after a long mission with a cold beer in our paw. Stories about those first agents who took down whole organizations all by themselves. In retrospect, I guess the line between villains and heroes wasn't as clear as I wish it was,' Arthur thought and had to restrain himself, 'But that doesn't matter now. Keep calm and listen. You'll get this asshole and repay him for what he had done, but you have to keep calm.'

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Arthur replied instead. It was an answer, that Bennett didn't like at all. Angered, the lion growled somewhere in the storage hall. Arthur, however, continued to search the nearby racks for any trace to the lion. 'If you think I'll give you the satisfaction to feed your ego and say out loud, what you want to hear forget it. Besides, I bet you will tell me at any second now.' Arthur thought and concentrated back on his task.

"Pride. That's what they called me and now I'm the only one left from the old crew." Bennett said and sounded kind of nostalgic but also deeply sad. Arthur searched through every shelf in the near of the table but nothing until now.

"I admit that I am a terrible leader but...when I work on my own, I'm unstoppable. How do you think I got the Gernach siblings? Dumb luck? NO! No, no, no . . . No! I've known the two for a long time now. I was sure Frank would insist on a rented car to drive through town. He always does. The two hated it to rely on others. So, I installed a tracking device on their car during the first evening, better safe than sorry, and when I recognized that they took a new room in a hotel not far from mine, I was sure they were after me." Bennett said but again, Arthur couldn't determine where the source of his voice was coming from. He felt like he was trapped in a mirror cabinet but there were no reflections but sounds from every corner.

"So, you waited for a good moment, entered their hotel room and killed them?" Arthur shouted and turned around his gun in his both paws

"If you tell the story like that, Arthur, it sounds almost like nothing, but yes, that's what I did." A pause followed by a burst of satisfied laughter, "Oh you should have seen Otto's face, when he saw how a bullet went through his brothers head. For a moment, I asked myself if Otto would lose it, but the old choleric was unfortunately to dazzled to do anything at all. I guess it was the first time in his life that he hadn't snapped."

Arthur listened and felt his anger began to rise in him again, 'You damn killer! And I thought Kawasemi would be the monster in this case. I'll get you for what you've done... and for everyone you've hurt.'

"Do you think that's funny? Mammals died because of you and you laugh about them? You're nothing but a coward!" Arthur shouted into the hall and knew the last sentence would've hit the lion. Maybe this way, he could lure the lion into the open and face him. Nothing happened.

Angered and confused, Arthur stood in front of the table. He had no idea where the damn lion was. Arthur could smell him clear as day but it was not enough to find him in the dim light let through by the small windows, just enough to see the contours of packages, crates and other things. Restlessly, the wolf turned around and with every passing second he felt more like prey and not like the predator he was. He could almost feel how Bennett was watching him, waiting for the right moment.

'Dammit! Where is he? He must be somewhere close…but where,' Arthur thought and looked around him, already feeling how panic began to rise in him. It didn't take long and Bennett recognized the changed scent of the wolf.

"Are you afraid, Arthur?"

"N-no!" Arthur said sternly, but with just half the resolution he had intended to respond with. The hate and anger in his mind slowly disappeared. It was replaced by something even more deadly than a gun or a knife and that was fear. His paws would shake by now but he held the gun in his paws so tight that he could barely move the weapon at all.

'Pull yourself together! You know why you're here and for whom! Put an end to Bennett and don't act like a child in a thunderstorm who would run crying to his mother's bedroom. Besides, you can't run. It's you or him. Agent versus agent... For the sake of the three goddesses, do it for her! You know you can win,' Arthur screamed those last words in his mind, to focus back at the enemy. But even if he could fight his fear, the question still remained, where was Bennett?

He made a full circle with the gun in his paws but there was nothing and for the first time since he had entered the storage hall, Arthur Lynch dropped his gun to his right side. A mistake he would regret his entire life, because he couldn't see the shadow behind him, who let himself down from the highest shelf of an especially large rack. Carefully, the shadow landed on his right foot because his left was still too heavily injured from Jiro's claws and made his way towards Arthur.

"Did you know that Kawasemi's demand was that none of the agents would die or even get hurt?" Bennett said while his grinning face appeared to Arthur's right. Startled but still capable to react, he began to raise his gun but it was already too late. The left paw of the old lion grabbed the back of Arthur's head, while his right enclosed Arthur's gun.

For just a second, the wolf wasn't sure what surprised him more, Bennett's sudden attack or the fact that Kawasemi wanted them all alive. He had plans for them, that much was certain, but what?

Bennett slammed Arthur's head hard against the empty table in front of him and the world around him began to spin. He felt how his strength began to leave his body, but he still had the gun in his right paw. A gleam of nope. Not much, but enough to fight on. He clasped his paw around it because he knew that his life depended on it.

Bennett leaned grinning over him and continued to talk to him by whispering into his ear, "OH! Yes, he wanted all of you alive...and only the three goddesses know why. But I tell ya, Arthur, this killer is a damn idiot! I told him that all I wanted was the money for the information about the other agents and it seemed as if he believed me. The fox didn't even realized that I wanted all of you dead...well, at least until Paul died. I told him where he should place the bomb but of course not who would drive with the car. I had to promise him that no innocent mammal would be hurt during this mission...I tell you for a stone cold killer he has a lot of rules," Bennet made a small break and Arthur could feel how he watched him with disgust, "Oh, you have no idea how much I wished that you could have died with Paul. No more troubles, no dirty interspecies love in my team, but NO! This stupid fox of yours had to rescue you in the last second. I wish I could've snapped his small neck when I had the chance to do it."

Arthur had enough of this talk. With all his strength, he tried to raise his right paw with the gun in it. He could feel how the lion was working against him but he was not done. The wolf could still turn it around or at least he thought so.

'Come on! Just high enough to make him retreat!' Arthur thought and was almost ready to shoot. He didn't care if he would hit himself, everything was better than to be in the grip of this fake ally.

It didn't take much to shatter hope completely for Arthur, it needed just one wrong assumption and that was that the old lion would try to push his wrist down. But he couldn't be more wrong and if he could think more clearly, he would have known what this combat trained agent would do to him.

Instead of forcing him down, Bennett raised Arthur's paw high and pointed the weapon away from them. A second later and Arthur had to watch how the lion slammed the wrist against the edge of the table. At first, Arthur just heard how his bones broke. It took a few seconds until the pain reached his brain and spread its full effect.

Growling and screaming from the pain in his right arm, Arthur tried, now in pure panic, to free himself from Bennett's harsh grip but it didn't help. The gun was no longer in his paw. With a thud it fell to the ground and was out of his reach.

'Dammit...you stupid wolf, why didn't you see that coming? What now? By the three goddesses my arm...why does it hurt so much? Damn, as if he ripped it off...Ahhh...I guess it would make no difference for the pain...Shut it, Arthur! Get a grip or do you want that John and Marie have to identify you like this? NO! Of course not, now think and don't forget, you still have one arm left ,' Arthur tried desperately to summon his fighting spirit but also he knew that the real pain would start now. Not just because of his wrist but Bennett was now in a clear advantage. The lion dictated from there on what would happen and Arthur could only hope for a mistake from the larger feline.

He had to fight back and time was running out. Desperately, Arthur made his next move, but in the end it was no good. Bennett recognized immediately when the wolf moved and acted fast and without any sign of regret.

With ease, the lion took the wolf by his neck and flung him backwards, where Arthur hit hard against the metal racks and felt a wave of pain running through him like electricity. This time the pain was coming from deep inside his chest. A scream followed and echoed through the hall, but there was no help, just an old lion who listened with delight to the suffering of his enemy.

"I wanted to send you home and kill one agent at a time, to raise no suspicion. One agent at every mission. But you didn't know when to quit, right Arthur? You had to ignore my orders and keep on finding the culprit. Just to do the right thing," Bennett said and walked slowly over to Arthur. The wrist of the wolf was already swollen and useless. There was also the taste of blood in Arthur's mouth, a clear indication for some kind of internal injury.

"I wasted so many years of work and time for the ICOU...do you really think I would accept being kicked out? Just like that? They all got what they deserved. Every. Last. One. Of. Them!"

With his remaining left paw, Arthur tried as best as he could do straighten up and have a better look at the lion. Without even knowing, a smile appeared on Arthur's face.

"What is with Kawasemi?"

"What is with him?" Bennett asked confused.

"You fooled him too."

"Tsk, Neither he nor I ever had any intention of keeping the bargain...or so I think. I wanted all members dead and I guess he understood it as soon as the bomb killed Paul, that I broke our little contract. And he...well, I guess he wanted to sell me to the ICOU as a traitor to...whatever he wanted to do. I don't care and I think it doesn't even matter. You see, Arthur, from the first minute of this deal, I knew it was me or him in the end," Bennett explained and bowed a little bit down, his left leg forbid it to squat but he came as close as it was possible for him. With a smile he was talking on, "The moment I had read the report about him and what he did to the Yoshimura family, I knew that he could help me get my revenge... and my well-earned pension, of course."

Arthur knew it was dangerous but he had maybe one last chance to take him down but for this he had to distract him and wait for the right moment to strike. Maybe he wouldn't make it out of here alive but he had to do anything in his power to stop the lion. Not for him but for Paul, the Gernach brothers and even more for Camila.

"Aren't you afraid?"

"Of what…?" Bennett looked confused at Arthur, for whom it was harder and harder to talk with every passing minute. A throbbing pain was coming from his chest. He didn't know what it was but it was definitely nothing good.

"Of him! Kawasemi! He's coming for you and you know what he's capable of!"

The face of the old lion changed but not in the way Arthur thought it would. Confusion turned to joy and a long and deep laughter began to sound through the hall. It took Bennett almost a minute to calm down and wipe the tears from his eyes.

If words could describe how much Arthur hated the lion in this particular moment. Seeing Bennett here, laughing and winning while other mammals, who fought for good died. It made him sick.

"I should be scared of him? A Fox? Ahahahaha...Ridiculous! Well, he's good at what he's doing, I give you that but in the end he's nothing more than a damn fox. And I have every advantage over him!" Bennett shouted with laughter towards Arthur.

"No, not every advantage…," Arthur replied quietly. Bennett couldn't hear everything and made a step closer to the wolf.

"OH? And what is that? Come on, Arthur tell me."

'Yes, come closer and I show you some advantages…,' Arthur thought and opened smiling his mouth. Bennett was just some inches away from him and with that, close enough to strike, '...Just one more strike, directly at his temple to knock him out and everything is over. One last strike, like I have learned it in the ZBI self-defense courses, that's all I need…,' Arthur's breathing almost stopped, when a thought crossed his mind that was completely new to him but given the unusual situation he was in, it also made complete. At least for him. And so he began to pray, '...I know I never prayed to you but if your really there, you three goddesses, now would be a perfect time to help me out of this mess.'

"You don't know who he is…," Arthur said and his paw flashed forward with all the strength he had left but missed Bennett's temple. The attack left nothing but a deep scratch above Bennett's eye. The lion stepped back and roared in anger, while he held the wound closed with his paw. There was blood dripping to the ground and Arthur knew, he had screwed up.

'You stupid, wolf. That was your last chance and you just made it worse.' Artur thought bitterly and looked to the lion. When he could finally focus his gaze on him, he saw just hate in the face of the large feline predator, who looked at the blood in his paw and then to Arthur.

Not even a second later and the lion was back at Arthur. Bennett pulled the wounded agent up and held him, his left paw around the throat of the wolf. To escape or dodge the next blow was impossible. Watching his enemy was all Arthur could do and bleed of course. Yes, he could still bleed...

"What is the old saying? An eye for an eye, right? You didn't succeed, but I guess it's just fair to keep it that way, wouldn't you say so, Arthur?" Bennett explained with an evil grin, half his face and fur were covered in fresh blood from the wound on his forehead.

'No, no, no...he wouldn't do that, would he?' Arthur thought and grabbed with the paw he had left for the wrist of the lion. Grabbing and scratching, he tried to loosen the grip around him but the paw did not open. The lion grinned like mad, and he probably was, and prepared his next attack and struck hard.

His claws hit Arthur hard on the left side of his face, leaving nothing but pain. For the second time of this fight, everything began to move around him. To separate the ceiling from the ground was no longer an option for him, all he felt was that Bennett dropped him hard on the floor. Even then with a fixed point to concentrate on the world kept spinning with no end in sight. He would vomit but there was nothing left in him and the last meal seemed like a lifetime ago in a better world, where everything was still how it should be. Camila was alive and together with him and Jiro in a restaurant eating soup.

Bennett stood in front of him and knew that Arthur Lynch, member of the ZBI was no longer a threat to him. He had won but he couldn't stop, he couldn't just let him die. He wanted to enjoy this, probably, last fight of his career. In retrospect, it was almost absurd how carefully the lion tried to raise Arthur up but he did. He leaned the hard breathing wolf against the pole of a rack. His remaining good eye was focused on Bennett and how he stood there, grinning.

"I know it now. It just came to me, when I smashed the left side of your head to a bloody mess." Bennett said and smiled like a kid that knew that Santa wasn't real but waited till he was back in class to ruin it for everyone.

Before he answered, Arthur tried to check his body but it was nothing more than a mess of fur, blood and pain. For a second, he was thankful that Camila didn't him like this.

It took a while but, but he eventually realized that his own sight was limited; Arthur saw nothing on his left. In fact, he couldn't even blink. But there was also no pain to concentrate on and so he shifted the gaze of his eye back to the lion.

"What did you know? Can't you just kill me and call it a day?" Arthur said and tried to get up on his left paw, but the strength he needed for this little movement was gone.

"He wanted you. You see, the only time I meet him face to face or better face to mask, he said he wanted you. One of the two agents from Zootopia who qualified for the ICOU. He chose you, from all the towns, agents and mammals, he chose you. I didn't understand it then but I also didn't care. Why would I? Take the agent from this middle class town that no one knows or even recognize. Fine by me. But, he chose you." Bennett explained but Arthur still had no clue what he was getting at. And so he just stared at him and shrugged as if nothing would matter anymore.

"I still don't understand." Arthur replied stubborn.

"Oh you will, I promise you that much. Say, do you know how he killed those ninja's, which were after him? It's actually quite interesting." Bennett asked and smiled.

"No idea...if it was you who killed them, I would have said that you had talked them to death," Arthur grinned as much as it was possible for him and saw how the smile vanished from the face of the lion, 'That's the good thing about my state...nothing matters anymore.'

Unimpressed, Bennett continued his story, "Just wait, Arthur, you will understand. Anyhow, those five ninja's followed Kawasemi but when they had him in the corner of a backstreet. There was no ice cold killer...no. There was just a meek, little university boy. His arms full of books he wanted to read for his literature studies and his body shaking from the killers which were all around him. They could smell his fear. Do you understand it? They could smell his fear. Literally! And with the knowledge that he was afraid of them, like a little child that got lost in a large crowd, they decided that he wasn't the mammal they were searching for...and that was the moment when they made the worst decision of their lives. Turning their backs to him, he had all the time in the world to draw a gun, aim and shot four of them dead. BANG! BANG! Bang! BANG! Four dead but the fifth could escape with very bad injuries and returned to his master. But the most important question comes now, do you understand what I want to tell you?"

Somewhere in Arthur's mind, a bell was ringing ,as if his unconscious mind had found a truth that wasn't yet ready for his conscious one to bear. But it was also...as if...something was holding this truth back.

"I needed some time to understand it but now everything makes sense. I ask again, do you get it?"

"And I still have no idea…," Arthur began and turned his head to the ground. Bennett continued eagerly and Arthur felt that he was enjoying himself and the situation with every second more.

"OH! You know it but you don't want to accept it, because it would mean you have to change your view on things...but don't worry, I'll speak it out for you… Kawasemi isn't especially strong or fast. He's smart, oh yes, but he's still a normal fox."

'Whatever you want to tell me, I don't care and I have no idea what you're getting at.' Arthur thought but prepared mentally for the worst. What it was, he didn't know but there was still the bell ringing in the back of his mind, 'Is it just me or is this damn bell getting louder?'

It was.

"Just a fox...and a master of deception. He could be anyone...a meek looking student who killed four ninjas in a backstreet and injured a fifth one seriously. A jolly and clumsy waiter who cracks jokes all night but who also wiped out an entire mob family by serving poisoned Sake together with other waiters who had no idea what happened with them or . . . a young and aspiring police officer who gets his first big case. And not just that, he gets assigned to an agent of the ICOU! What do you say, Arthur? Isn't that a big surprise for someone so young?" Bennett said and this unpleasant smile, that he showed earlier was back on his face.

"NO! You lie! He...he can't be..."

"Oh, am I a liar...? Then please tell me, why was your police fox not harmed by the bomb? How could he drag you into safety, just seconds after the detonation? You? A grown wolf in his thirties?"

Arthur's first reaction was to argue back, to tell him that he was on the wrong track and that it was not possible that Jiro was the culprit. 'I mean...we're talking about Jiro, the friendly fox who took care of me despite the moody behavior I show sometimes. Jiro had a girlfriend here in Izumo, a past that he shared with me and plans for the future. How can all of this be . . . fake,' Arthur thought and he wanted to tell Bennett all of this but he couldn't, because the old lion was right. How could he do that without knowing that there was a bomb? Maybe there was a logical explanation for all of this and he would find it if he just searched for it. If he just thought about it long enough.

"I can tell you the answer, Arthur. He isn't what he seems to be and when I have left this city with a lot of money and the aim of a quiet place somewhere warm. Maybe Pawai, maybe somewhere in the south of Midland. Then this whole town will just blame him for the things that happened." Bennett stood up and looked at his watch, "...half an hour and this city will burn. I'm almost tempted to stay and see how they condemn Kawasemi...but on the other paw...I think I'll have enough of this life as an agent. Now, where my wife hates me, where there's no bright future ahead of me with enough money for my pension and not to forget the constant threat of death as an agent...No, thanks. You know, even without Kawasemi I could sell enough secrets to live the rest of my life without sorrows but it was nice to switch for once the sides and be on the side of the bad boys."

Between all that blabbering there was a sentence of importance, Arthur knew it. With a wide eye, he looked up to Bennett, "What...what do you mean...this city will burn?"

"I'm not stupid, Arthur. I know the local police will search for answers, as soon as they find you and maybe someone starts to dig deeper and maybe they'll understand. And then they will send officers after me...well, that will not happen if they have too much to do in the city for the years to come," Bennett said and grinned. This damned grin, it explained everything and nothing for Arthur. He was up to something outrageous, so much was clear for Arthur. He needed to know.

"What did you do?`"

"I bet you already know that this town is on the direct path towards a little war between police forces, Yakuza and maybe even the God Paw...so why not give Izumo the last push over the edge?"

Arthur continued to stare at him but was panting, despite the fact that he sat on the ground. With delight, Bennett continued to speak, while he also began to loosen the red tie around his neck.

"Because of you, I had to change plans. Everything had to go down at once and not controlled and slowly. Six bombs will detonate in the inner city around eleven o'clock and they will hit different groups of this city. With every bomb, a letter will arrive in the offices of different mammals explaining that Kawasemi is responsible for all of this. Police Headquarter, different Yakuza families, in Tsukiyama's residence and the red light district and in every letter he will claim to fight for another side. Perfect confusion and the best opportunity for me to disappear forever...Oh, the police will also receive a letter in which 'Kawasemi' claims my death for himself...but of course they will never find my body." Bennett explained and chuckled.

Arthur couldn't believe what a mess this all became and that it still wasn't over. All these dead mammals, just for the sake of a nice pension somewhere in the sun. Could someone really be that selfish? Arthur closed his eye and shook his head in desperation, when he looked up again, he saw that Bennett was pointing his revolver at him.

"Every good time has to come to an end, Arthur. Any last words?"

By now, Arthur must have felt like Bennett, he just wanted it to be over. 'Let it go, wolf. You've lost. Marie and John will grieve...for a while and then move on. Life goes on. It's okay.'

But then, a thought crept into his mind.

"What if someone tells the truth about everything?"

"And you think they will believe that a killer...a murderer like Kawasemi is the good guy in this story and the highly decorated and leading agent, who was murdered by this killer is the one behind all of it? No, Arthur. No one would believe that. As soon as those bombs went off and the message is spread who it was, it's over. You see, that's the funny thing about the truth, when you give mammals all the information they need so they can make up their minds, it's very hard to convince them otherwise. Even if the new information is more true than the old one...it doesn't matter. And now it's time but, it was nice knowing you, Agent Lynch." Bennett said and pulled the hammer of his revolver back with a satisfying click.

Arthur's whole body was shaking because of fear, his end already in sight. When he opened his eye for a last glance at the mammal he thought was a hero, in which he believed for such a long time turned out to be the true villain of this tale, he recognized a well known scent. His brain couldn't identify it immediately but he knew it from somewhere.

"Enough of this madness...We had a deal, Bennett," a voice came from behind the old lion. It sounded sharp and determined, no sign of fear or doubt in it. To Arthur's surprise, Bennett seemed annoyed about the sudden appearance of the new visitor. He groaned in annoyance.

"You're too soon, Kawasemi."

"No, I was perfectly accurate and I don't want to repeat myself. We had a deal. No agent should be harmed or killed and you would get your money."

Bennett turned away from Arthur, facing Kawasemi who stood fifteen meters away, on the other side of the aisle. His arms crossed behind his back. When his eye finally focused on the fox it was as reality itself had a crack. The fox looked like Jiro but he felt totally different. No glasses, no shy smile and his emerald green eyes fixed on the lion with a cold and unforgiving gaze that he had never seen before on Jiro and never believed he would. It was the fox he knew and at the same time he was someone completely else.

"Jiro...what?"

The voice of the fox became soft when he heard Arthur's question and replied, "Not now, Arthur...Let me handle this first and then we can talk."

A response came in the form of a growl from Bennett and Arthur could already imagine what the Problem of 'Pride' was.

"Don't ignore me, 'Fox'." Bennett said and the disgust in the voice of the lion was unmistakable.

"I'm sorry, but to me you are nothing more than an annoying obstacle and I have not the time to deal with you for long. There's a ship I have to catch and I need to take care of Arthur."

For a moment there was just silence in the large hall with all it's crates and overfilled racks. Bennett's right paw hung limp to his side, the 44 revolver ready to kill everything that would stand in his way. The tail of the lion twitched nervously, not knowing what the red fox would do on the other side of the hall, when he saw the Jiro was completely still. There was no visible movement of his body or tail. Nothing.

A sudden movement and the gun rose towards the fox direction but it should never reach the point to fire one of it's large bullets. Not now and not at him.

Before Bennett could pull the trigger, his revolver fell to the ground and he began to roar in pain. Holding his right paw with his left. Blood trickled down to the ground and for a second, Arthur didn't understood what has happened. Until his gaze went to Jiro, in his paw a pistol with a silencer, that he had hidden behind his back until this very moment. There was still smoke coming out of the weapon's muzzle.

"You're right, Simon. I'm good at deceiving mammals but I'm also good marksmammal."

As if he had all the time in the whole wide world, Jiro began walking towards the lion without any sign of fear. His gun, waiting in his right paw.

Even then, when Arthur was numb from the pain and the blood loss, he could feel the anger which was coming from the lion. He was boiling and not long and Bennett would go on a rampage.

"You damned nobody...an obstacle...that's what you call me? By what right does the fox judges over the lion," Bennett roared the last words. He jumped up and began to run towards the fox, his left paw ready to strike a single deadly blow at him. Even in this dire situation, where a mammal that was multiple times larger than he was and who was changing in seconds from shooting distance to paw-to-paw combat, Jiro was completely calm. With wide eye, Arthur watched in horror what was happening in front of him.

"JIRO! WATCH OUT!" Arthur screamed and hoped to prevent the situation from getting worse, but Jiro was prepared and well aware of his enemy.

Almost incidental, the fox raised his gun. Not high but high enough to point at the legs of the lion and pulled the trigger two times. Simon Bennett's feet gave in like a tree in a thunderstorm. With his face first, he slammed to the ground and remained there.

It was strange for Arthur to see how casual it was for the fox to take down an enemy like Simon Bennett. For him and many other agents he was a legend. One of the first agents of the ICOU, known to the criminal underworld just as Pride of the seven Deadly Sins and now he was laying on the ground, waiting for the judgement of a young fox. It was absurd and if someone would have told Arthur this story, he would laugh and call the nearest loony bin, if they had a free room for the storyteller.

But while Arthur watched Jiro, he understood and accepted for himself, that this wasn't the fox he had met in the last days. Maybe some parts of him were still the same but not all.

When Jiro began to speak he was calm but the annoyance in his voice was undeniable, "You should've done what we agreed upon, Simon. You would've get your twenty million and I a direct connection to the ICOU with all it's agents and resources. A perfect win-win situation for all of us. But no, because you couldn't trust me, everything had to end in a tragedy and now I have to go for my plan B."

Jiro stepped with his right foot on the back of the lion, pointed with his gun towards the remaining good arm and pulled the trigger. The execution was so fast and fluent, that even Arthur flinched when the bullet hit Bennett. Another scream echoed through the hall but there was no one to pity him. He deserved every little bit Jiro would do to him. For the others and especially for Camila.

Distracted by the pain in his limbs, Bennett turned towards Jiro and spoke in , "You said you wanted the help of the ICOU...ahhh... But, how could they be of any help when you would sell their information to some mobster? That makes no sense."

"Who said I would?" Jiro replied but Bennett did not understand and looked incredulous up to a mammal he was barely able to see from his angle on the ground. Arthur guessed that for the first time in many years, Simon Bennett was honestly confused about the mammal that was in front of him. He, the agent who had so many years of experience, had misjudged someone, who he thought was probably so similar to himself.

"But...how...how do you…?"

"How did I want to pay you? With my money! I wanted to pay you with my money, because I thought you wouldn't care where the money was coming from. You see, I need the help of the ICOU more than I need the damn cash. I needed them and now they will be gone. No one will ever be part of an organisation where the members are killing each other or where everyone could be a traitor. An old leading mammal who had enough and just wanted to enjoy the rest of his life? I think that's something the other towns could accept as an explanation but you...you and your stupid pride had to go on a killing spree! I wanted to give you a quiet ending that you could enjoy in piece...but no." Jiro explained and Arthur heard mild anger in his voice and face.

Just for the fraction of a second, Arthur thought that Bennett would be quiet from here on. That he had learned his lesson and accepted his defeat. He couldn't be more wrong about the damned lion.

"Who do you think you are, that you judge how the end of my life will look like? I decide my fate and no one else. Especially not a little, nothing-for-good fox like you! Come down here and I'll bite your face off! NO! I'll bite off your whole goddamn head and then I…," Bennett shouted and moved his body, as much as his injuries allowed him to do. The fox, who still stood with one leg on the back of the lion to keep him down was annoyed about this sudden outbreak of anger and movement. He watched carefully how the old agent tried to wiggle himself free but it was useless.

It was also obvious for Arthur that this Jiro had enough of the lion and his escapades. For the last time, the fox raised his gun, pointed it at the back of Simon Bennett's head and pulled the trigger. The volume of the shot was nothing more than a coughing. Even the sound of the lion's head falling to the ground with a thud was louder than that. No more babbling or squealing from the one they once called Pride and when Arthur watched what remained of the lion, he was shocked. A lonely old mammal who lost all he once had to a gambling addiction. His wife, his future and now...all that remained was his pride and even that was gone with the last tantrum.

'Maybe our biggest sin is not what drags us down but what stays with us to the very end.' Arthur thought and realized one other thing.

They were alone.

"Why did you do that?" Arthur asked and felt how anger was rising inside of him.

"It's better that way. Believe me." Jiro said. The calm was back in his voice and he hated him for that very moment and the way he replied to him.

"NO! It's not better! He deserves every inch of pain he can get! But you...you just put him out of his misery and the justice he would get!" Arthur said and he was sure that Jiro could see the hatred towards the old lion in his remaining eye. Without turning his gaze to Arthur, Jiro chuckled.

"Justice? Is that what you call revenge nowadays? Listen...I know you want your revenge but, it would do you no good. Because no matter how much you would torture him or make him bleed...you two would never be even. Not in a thousand years, that's not how revenge works," Jiro said in a low voice.

"Maybe, I had enjoyed beating his dumb face to a pulp!" Arthur shouted back and panted heavily. His whole body was trembling in anger. Anger about Jiro who is in reality Kawasemi, anger about Bennett and all the mammals who are lost because of his tremendous ego. But most of all anger about himself and how he failed in this last days to understand the situation and to protect even a single mammal.

"Maybe you do, but you would hate the mammal to which you would become."

"How do you want to know that!"

Arthur was shocked when Jiro shouted back in the same way, "I know it because I'm like him, just another sinner on his path for revenge! And before you ask why I did it. I killed him so you wouldn't have to do it! Hate me for it, fine! But believe me one thing, if you had killed him in cold anger, like you wanted to, you'd be no better than he was!"

The fox stared at the wolf and none of them moved for a while but both panted as if they ran a marathon. After a while, Jiro's gaze switched several times between Bennett's dead body and Arthur's swollen face, before it stayed on Bennett and he began to speak, "I know that a lot of the things that happened are my fault but still... I had to end his miserable live by myself and not you. Because you still have something to live for..., " Jiro stopped and spoke on in his low voice. He had himself back under control ," You have no idea, how much I hated him for the things he did. He killed Paul. He killed several police officers in the bomb attack. He killed the Gernach siblings...and he almost killed Camila."

Arthur's mind tried to process the words and when he did. When he finally managed to understand what Jiro just said to him, he wanted to jump up and hug this fox. Killer or not, he didn't care. Not now. Not in this moment. But he couldn't his body was broken and in no condition to hug anyone.

"What...did you just said? Camila...is alive?" Arthur said almost stuttering. His grey snout trembled in excitement and surprise.

"Yes. She is... Or at least she was the last time I saw her. She was stable the moment the ambulance was taking her into the hospital. And like you said... she's strong. I have no doubt that she will survive this." Jiro said and turned towards Arthur with a reassuring smile, so that Arthur understood and also believed what Jiro just said.

"But...but how?"

"Do you remember the little microphone, which Void had used to bug you and Camila?" Jiro asked and began to walk over to Arthur. His voice was soft now and for the first time, Arthur recognized that the fox was wearing work pants and a blue sweater. The uniform was gone of course, because this part of his life was over. Or better this role was over.

In fact, he looked like one of the sailors, Arthur saw this morning walking past him and towards their work.

"Yes... I do. But what has this to do with anything?" Arthur asked and watched how Jiro walked over to him. The fox squatted down in front of him and began to inspect his injuries.

"The technology I used when I was still an agent of The Last Order was far more advanced than what you know. For example, where you just have gauze to stop a bleeding artery wound, every agent had a special syringe filled with little sponges...I've kept mine in case I would need it one day. And as it turned out I needed it but not for me." Jiro or whoever he really was explained while he searched the table for normal gauze, medical scissors and something else that Arthur couldn't identify. Without asking for permission or if Arthur wants his help, Jiro began to fix his wounds and spoke on, "Camila is probably alive but I can't tell you if she will recover completely from her injuries."

A certain fear started to rise in Arthur, when the fox said this. He had heard such sentences before and remembered now where the bullet had hit her, he asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"The bullet...it not just destroyed an artery. It seemed like it was also very close to the spine...I'm no doctor but I saw a lot of injuries in my life and what the results could be…," Jiro said in a low tone and had finished by then already to bandage Arthur's head wound. The wolf had no idea how bad he really looked but Jiro did his work without flinching or any attempt of stopping. His paws worked fast and steady on him.

"It doesn't matter. As long as she's alive everything will be fine."

"Maybe it doesn't matter for you...but what is with her? Some mammals can adjust to a 'different' body and others can not." Jiro replied. Arthur knew exactly what the fox meant and he was right. She had to accept what was coming, but he could help her. He would help her no matter what the results were or how she would react to him.

Jiro finished bandaging the last wounds on his body before he took a quick look at his right wrist. He could treat cuts and bleeding wounds, but a broken wrist was out of the question for the fox. At least in this environment.

Arthur could see that Jiro was fighting with himself. For a short moment, the confident adult mammal was gone. Right then, only the child he once was and somehow still is, stood in front of Arthur. He massaged his paws nervously and tried to find the right words.

"I...I'm sorry, Arthur. That's not how it should end. This wasn't the plan. All of you should be ...alive and well, " Jiro said and sighed hard. He sat beside Arthur and leaned against a crate, his arms around his knees.

'Yes, we should but that doesn't help any of us.' Arthur thought before he replied to him.

"My mum always said, 'It is what it is, Arthur. Don't try to change the past but take what you have and move on.'...I guess that's the best we can do now." Arthur explained and turned his head to Jiro, "Could you give me my last cigarette? I have still one left in my pocket."

Jiro did and not even five minutes later, Arthur finished his last cigarette. He no longer questioned that Jiro and Kawasemi were one and the same mammal. It made sense and he found more and more evidence for the agent he was and no longer for the police officer he pretended to be.

"What is with your little girlfriend...I think Haruno was her name?"

A smile flashed over Jiro's muzzle, "She'll be fine. Right now, the house of Jiro Nakamura is burning down and I guess she'll mourn for a while but...it's not that there was anything serious between us. We went on some dates, that's all. No kissing and just a little bit of holding each others paws on the way home. Like Camila said, the mammals in this part of the world are special in this regard and not as open as you two," Jiro explained and some more minutes of silence passed before Arthur raised his voice. He could already feel how his mind began to drift away, the internal blood loss was taking its toll on him.

"I don't have much time until I'll pass out, Jiro. And I hope you call an ambulance later on, but I have to ask this because, if I don't know...all of this would have been for nothing. So...Why do you need the help of the ICOU?"

The silence grew once more and this time, Jiro looked stern to the ground and Arthur knew what was wrong with the young fox. He didn't search for words. He knew them exactly, because what he would say to Arthur, he had already said to himself a hundred times or more.

"You know the story of the three goddesses, right?"

Arthur was confused about this question and chuckled, "Sure I know the tale of three goddess. Every kid in the whole goddamn world knows it. I mean... it's the foundation of our society, without this tale and the first mammal clans two thousand years ago coming together, we would still fight against each other about who's the best species. But what has this old story to do with anything?"

Jiro stared at the ground in front of him and began to recite the old tale, "Two thousand years ago, every species of mammalkind was at war with one another. Death and devastation reigned over the world of mammals, until three goddesses emerged from different places of this world. One from the north, one from the East and one from the west. They joined their forces and together they pacified the other species and achieved what no other mammal had done before. They brought peace to the world and to all mammals in it, declaring them equal no matter their size or number. And as peace reigned, they left to a place called Elysium until the day would come for them to return and take their rightful place as the leader of this world."

It was the short version, Arthur recognized. Not the long one which was far more elaborate and contained the treasures of the three, one for each of them. A magic stone, a holy sword and a mystical mirror. But despite this story, he couldn't see the connection and for a second the thought crossed his mind, that this was all just a sick joke of the fox who called himself Jiro Nakamura.

"That's still a nice tale, but I don't…," Arthur began but was interrupted by Jiro, who still stared at the ground in front of him but shouted eagerly, "What if!"

Arthur moved throbbing head towards Jiro, so that his good eye could see the fox directly and Jiro turned his head with the emerald green eyes to the wolf.

"What if...what if the three goddesses are real and not just a story we told ourselves over and over until we could no longer distinguish between truth and lie. With other words, what if they really exist…," Jiro said. Arthur didn't even recognize that his mouth stood open and his eye went wide.

"What…?" Arthur said and tried to understand what the fox beside him just said. Maybe Bennett had hit his head too hard and he didn't understand what was going on now. Yes, that seemed plausible. His head was all messed up and he wasn't able to understand what Jiro wanted to tell him... or maybe it was the lack of sleep... or... or his grief about Camila.

'Or maybe the fox spoke the truth...but that's ridiculous. Isn't it? I mean, how can they be real? It's just...' Arthur began to think and looked at Jiro. There was no obvious lie or at least none the wolf could sense easily. On the other paw stood the fact that Jiro was very good at deceiving mammals. Something seemed to give away Arthur's thoughts, because Jiro started to shake his head eagerly before he finished the thought, Arthur had in mind.

"It's just a story you think, right? I can't blame you. I guess if you live a normal life and hear what I said for the first time, it must be like a hammer falling onto your head." Jiro said, his gaze was still serious. For a while the two just looked at each other.

It was strange. Arthur knew and had somehow accepted that Jiro was Kawasemi, but there was no hate or grudge towards him. And somehow, deep in his mind, Arthur was sure that the fox spoke the truth when he said that he wanted nobody dead. There wasn't even the tiniest bit of fear in him. Why should he? After all, Jiro had saved his life several times in the last few days. Arthur was sure that he would never hurt him. Not him, not a friend.

Arthur sighed heavily and replied in a slow voice, "Alright... Let's assume for a moment that you speak the truth. The... 'goddesses'... do exist. That still doesn't explain anything."

Jiro stared at his paws and while the fox spoke, Arthur could feel how a shiver went down his whole body and for a moment all his pain was forgotten. The question Jiro asked, frightened him to the bone because Arthur knew he wasn't joking.

"What if, I would like to kill a god? And I don't mean an all powerful, all knowing being in the sky, that can snap you out of existence. They're not like that...at least not in the common sense. They're mammals like you and me, but they're treated like gods. With an army of knights around them, agents that can infiltrate any organisation or town in this world and an. They even have the power and the possibility to erase whole cities, species or events from the face of the earth and history books alike. As if they have never existed. Not with a single god-like intervention but with an even more powerful weapon and that." Jiro explained and remained silent.

Arthur closed for a second his eye and didn't know what he should think,'The boy is crazy. He simply must be...or what other explanation could exist for such ideas? Kill a god...Geez, what have I gotten myself into?'

"That's...that's madness." Arthur said and shook his head as much as he could.

"I know...and that's why I needed the help of the ICOU to reach my goal. You see...The main problem them out into the world. By now I had two possibilities in mind. The first one was this miserable executed plan, that was destroyed by the pride of a single mammal. I'm...no. I was a trained agent. So, what was more obvious for me than using the biggest organization of agents in the world. But that option is now off the table and I will go with my second plan."

"So, we should kill one of the three goddesses? And then?"

"No, you should help me to sneak in and distract them. I would have done the rest. It was my short term plan, but I should have known that it wouldn't be so easy." Jiro said and sighed. His gaze was sad and full of regret and hate, something that Arthur had never seen before in such a young mammal. Arthur had no idea why Jiro or Kawasemi...or whoever he was, hated the goddesses so much but something terrifying must have happened to lead to such methods.

A stinging feeling came from Arthur's chest and the wolf bend over in crucial pain , "Ahh, dammit. I guess I get worse...tell me Jiro, what is your plan B?"

Jiro waited a moment before he began to explain. Arthur could feel that Jiro had put his life on the line for this plan and his revenge.

"There is just one thing that the goddesses despise above all else and that is true greatness that was achieved without their assistance. But for this, I need a town I can shape and which has the potential to be a true Paradise. A place where anyone can be anything without regard of the species or the social background. In the town would exist no limitations of the ecosystem the mammal needs, his heights or other preferences. It would be a city where everyone could live together in peace. A city that even the gods had to acknowledge and to fear."

"And do you have already a town in mind for this life task?" Arthur asked with a smile, turning towards Jiro, who already looked at him. The fox replied with a simple yes and smiled knowingly. There was no explanation needed which town he meant.

A little chuckle grew to a loud laughter that went on until Arthur's chest hurt too much. His face was a mask of pain and he could feel how the unconscious was pulling him slowly down into the warm and dark place where no pain existed, just sleep.

"What is with the bombs, Bennett had placed in the city? The mammals of this town will hate you." Arthur said and wished he had another cigarette left, but on the other paw was smoking without Camila just half as much fun.

"I don't care if mammals hate me. I'm here for my revenge and nothing else." Jiro replied and stood up from the ground.

"What did they do to deserve your wrath?" Arthur asked while he looked with a sad gaze up to Jiro.

"They destroyed my world and now I'm gonna burn down theirs. And if it takes me months, years or even centuries, they will pay for what they've done to her." Jiro replied, in his last word all the anger one soul could bear for a life and Arthur finally understood what this was all about. 'Love, of course...What else could drive a mammal so crazy but love. This poor devil.'

Until this moment, It was silent around them, until they heard the first ships and sailors coming for their work. The outside world brought them back into reality. It would be another noisy and crowded day in Izumo...at least until the daily routine would stop for a long time.

"It's time, Arthur...but I know we will see each other again. One day...and when that time comes, don't forget, you owe me two lives for yours and Camila's." Jiro said and stood up, disassembling the gun and making his way to the door. Arthur was sure he would get rid of it before he entered the ship.

Arthur just nodded but raised his voice for a last question,"Tell me...If you should really succeed. What... what do you wanna do when you have them kneeling before you?"

The fox stopped and looked back over his shoulder. Jiro needed just a second before he replied, "To keep it with Bennett. An eye for an eye seems only fair to me."

The mammal who had used the name Jiro Nakamura took a last sad look back at Arthur and left the building. All by himself and his throbbing pain, the wolf sat alone on the floor of the dark warehouse. From far away, he could already hear the approaching ambulance. After all this time, he felt how his strength finally left him and he sunk into the fine and muffeling darkness of his own dreams.

Somewhere in the distance Arthure thought he could hear bombs exploding. Meekly he muttered to himself, "An eye for an eye... and the whole world will turn blind." And passed out.


End file.
